This collection of entries is from the Category "Sports".
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Wolves 3 - Marlies 2 - Shootoutposted at 10:00 PM | Link | Wolves | Care to comment? | § |
Why do they sign has beens? The White Sox agreed to a one-year contract with free-agent RHP Bartolo Colon. 8:19 PM Jan 14th from txt
Saturday, December 06, 2008
Wolves 6 - IceHogs 1posted at 09:45 PM | Link | Wolves | Care to comment? | § |
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Wolves 2 - Monarchs 7posted at 09:50 PM | Link | Wolves | Care to comment? | § |
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Wolves 6 - Bruins 0posted at 11:59 PM | Link | Wolves | Care to comment? | § |
Saturday, October 18, 2008
Wolves 3 - Rivermen 2posted at 11:10 PM | Link | Wolves | Care to comment? | § |
Monday, September 29, 2008
White Sox 8 - Tigers 2posted at 10:30 PM | Link | White Sox | Care to comment? | § |
Sunday, September 28, 2008
White Sox 5 - Indians 1posted at 04:10 PM | Link | White Sox | Care to comment? | § |
Saturday, September 27, 2008
White Sox 6 - Indians 12posted at 10:00 PM | Link | White Sox | Care to comment? | § |
Saturday, September 06, 2008
White Sox 7 - Angels 6posted at 11:25 PM | Link | White Sox | Care to comment? | § |
Saturday, August 23, 2008
White Sox 3 - Rays 5posted at 08:05 PM | Link | White Sox | Care to comment? | § |
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Baseball Park Fan SurveySports Illustrated did a survey of fans to determine the rankings of Major League ballparks. They had 10 categories and weighed each of them the same: Affordability, Food, Team Quality, History & Tradition, Ballpark Atmosphere, Fan Intelligence, Fan Hospitality, Promotions, Getting To The Game and finally Neighborhood.
Interesting... and since this is all about the "fan experience" at the ballpark, it's interesting to see where the parks ranked - and for what. A little unfair to the Washington Nationals as the survey was for RFK Stadium and not the new Nationals Park.
The survey was for your hometown park. Of the respondents, almost 15% were season ticket holders, and almost half went to at least 5 games a year. That means under 50% went to at least 5 games, so their fan experiences could have been based solely on one or two games... or even worse: what they've heard about the experience.
The Chicago ballparks? US Cellular Field - 8th, Wrigley Field 15th
read more of this entry »
Affordability
How would you rate the affordability of a trip to your hometown ballpark?
Best: Royals - Kauffman Stadium
Worst: Red Sox - Fenway Park
US Cellular Field: 18
Wrigley Field: 27
(also included was not a question but a ranking of where ticket prices at the park compare throughout the league. The average cost for a ticket according to "Team Marketing Report, 2008" is $25.43
Best: Diamondbacks - Chase Field - Avg Price $15.96 - Increase From 2007 15.7%
Worst: Red Sox - Fenway Park - Avg Price $48.80 - Increase From 2007 10.1%
US Cellular Field: 26 - Avg Price $30.28 - Increase From 2007 5.2%
Wrigley Field: 29 - Avg Price $42.49 - Increase From 2007 23.9%)
Food
How would you rate the food at the ballpark?
How would you rate the cost of food and beverages at the ballpark?
Best: Brewers - Miller Park
Worst: Mets - Shea Stadium
US Cellular Field: 2
Wrigley Field: 22
(also included in the survey are selected resonses to "What is the must-have food item offered at the ballpark and what makes it so good?")
Team Quality
How would you rate the quality of the product currently being put on the field by the hometown team?
Best: Tigers - Comerica Park
Worst: Pirates - PNC Park
US Cellular Field: 17
Wrigley Field: 12
(also included in the survey are selected resonses to "Which player on your team is the most worth paying to watch?")
History & Tradition
How would you rate the sense of tradition and history at the ballpark?
Best: Red Sox - Fenway Park
Worst: Marlins - Dolphin Stadium
US Cellular Field: 15
Wrigley Field: 3
Ballpark Atmosphere
How would you rate the atmosphere at the game?
How would you rate the level of personal comfort when you are sitting in your seat?
Best: Mariners - Safeco Field
Worst: Marlins - Dolphin Stadium
US Cellular Field: 8
Wrigley Field: 6
Fan Intelligence
How would you rate the "baseball intelligence" of the home fans?
Best: Cardinals - Busch Stadium III
Worst: Marlins - Dolphin Stadium
US Cellular Field: 4
Wrigley Field: 8
Fan Hospitality
How would you rate the hospitality offered to fans of the opposing team?
Best: Cardinals - Busch Stadium III
Worst: Phillies - Citizens Bank Park
US Cellular Field: 23
Wrigley Field: 24
(also included in the survey are selected resonses to "What is the worst incident you've witnessed against an opposing fan or yourself?")
Promotions
How would you rate the quality of the promotions/giveaways offered by the home team?
Best: Brewers - Miller Park
Worst: Red Sox - Fenway Park
US Cellular Field: 4
Wrigley Field: 16
(also included in the survey are selected resonses to "What is the best promotion/giveaway your team has offered? What is the worst? What is a promotion you'd like to see?")
Getting To The Game
How would you rate the traffic to and from the ballpark?
How would you rate the parking availability/cost at the ballpark?
How would you rate the public transportation options to and from the ballpark?
Best: White Sox - US Cellular Field ???? !!!!
Worst: Dodgers - Dodger Stadium
US Cellular Field: 1
Wrigley Field: 23
Neighborhood
How would you rate the dining and drinking options within walking distance of the ballpark?
Best: Padres - Petco Park
Worst: Marlins - Dolphin Stadium
US Cellular Field: 23
Wrigley Field: 2
So, the overall rankings were:
1. Indians - Progressive Field 2. Brewers - Miller Park 3. Pirates - PNC Park 4. Tigers - Comerica Park 5. Cardinals - Busch Stadium III 6. Mariners - Safeco Field 7. Rockies - Coors Field 8. White Sox - US Cellular Field 9. Angels - Angel Stadium of Anaheim 10. Phillies - Citizens Bank Park 11. Padres - Petco Park 12. Royals - Kauffman Stadium 13. Reds - Great American Ballpark 14. Orioles - Oriole Park at Camden Yards 15. Cubs - Wrigley Field 16. Astros - Minute Maid Park 17. Giants - AT&T Park 18. Blue Jays - Rogers Centre 19. Braves - Turner Field 20. Yankees - Yankee Stadium 21. Red Sox - Fenway Park 22. Dodgers - Dodger Stadium 23. Athletics - McAfee Coliseum 24. Rays - Tropicana Field 25. Diamondbacks - Chase Field 26. Twins - Metrodome 27. Rangers - Rangers Park in Arlington 28. Mets - Shea Stadium 29. Nationals - RFK Stadium 30. Marlins - Dolphin Stadium « hide the extended part of this entry
posted at 02:52 PM | Link | Baseball | Care to comment? | § |
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Wolves 1 - Moose 2 (Overtime)
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Miscellaneous items first:
The Allstate Arena got a new scoreboard! It looks just slightly larger than the old one, but it has new displays in each corner of the board, plus a small display above the main display to show advertising and then a large ring below where they could scroll messages and graphics around. It's like a real step-up in class for the place.
Went to customer service and got our Season Ticketholder gift which this year is a mini wolves helmet with Darren Haydar's autograph mounted on a base. I expected an actual mini helmet, but this feels like it was made out of the same material (whatever it is) that they make the bobbleheads out of, and it's painted the maroon color of the team - which is not the color of any of the helmets that the team actually wears. Shockingly, this is actually a pretty classy item for the Wolves.
Oh... it's Wednesday, so it's Hungry Hungry Hump Day... tonight's eating contest during the first intermission: donuts.
And now for the pain...
Tied 1-1, the teams struggle into overtime...
Toward the very end of overtime, we're struggling at the Moose net. I can't remember what I saw, but I think it was a Moose tripping a Wolves player. We were controlling the puck, so there's a delayed penalty call. Ondrej Pavelec gets pulled out of the net for an extra attacker. With 56 seconds left in overtime, Steve Martins gets the puck near the net, gets tied-up in traffic so he passes the puck...
... to nobody.
It sails all the way down the ice... into our net. Game over - we score the winning goal for the Moose.
Our well-fought seven-game win streak is snapped.
So, the goal can't be credited to a Wolves player - it has to be credited to the player that last touched the puck: Manitoba's goaltender Drew MacIntyre, marking just the ninth time in the history of the American Hockey League that a netminder has been credited with a goal.
(Game Summary - Gamesheet) « hide the extended part of this entry
posted at 10:37 PM | Link | Wolves | Care to comment? | § |
Friday, February 15, 2008
Rockstar Curling?OK... saw this today... and it just FEELS like it's something out of The Onion... but... could it be true?
Somebody is floating the idea of a reality show that can actually produce - as a winner - an Olympian.
So... what kind of sport would work for that? How about... curling!
Now, it has turned into a American Idol reality thing with five male and five female slots to produce the entries to the Olympic tryouts.
The cool thing, that was unfortunately false, is that at one time they were talking about "closet curlers" that are rockstars would be involved - specifically John Bon Jovi and Bruce Springsteen. How cool would that have been? How cool would it have been for those guys to expose more people to the sport?
posted at 01:32 PM | Link | Olympics | Care to comment? | § |
Monday, February 11, 2008
STH secret presale...w00T! Single game tickets went on sale this morning for the White Sox for Season Ticket Holders (not he general public. I love having the opportunity to get at tickets ahead of everyone else) . We grabbed-up tickets to opening day (since our package doesn't include it) and grabbed tickets for Elvis night in August.
I'm feeling better - it's feeling more like spring again... except for that snow and below zero temperatures...
posted at 11:04 AM | Link | White Sox | Care to comment? | § |
Saturday, February 09, 2008
Wolves 3 - Admirals 1
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A good, but not stellar attendance tonight - 9,431. Nothing much to say about the game itself... but it's your typical Saturday night group outings night again, this time with little kids next to Carol... who ALMOST tolerated them well.. and actually said civil words to one or two during the game...
...oh, and there was one of the Wolves' Post Game Skate parties. We stuck around so that I could take some pictures. One of the first girls to go on the ice fell and hit her head pretty bad. I don't think see ever made it out onto the ice.
(Game Summary - Gamesheet) « hide the extended part of this entry
posted at 10:35 PM | Link | Wolves | Care to comment? | § |
Saturday, February 02, 2008
Wolves 4 - IceHogs 2
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Wow ... what an odd game...
First, this is starting to feel like it's turning into a real rivalry. Rockford is pretty physical. They're fast, and every hit just seems to have a little more to it.
The attendance was 11,419, but it felt bigger than that 12,022 2 weeks ago, but that's paid and I knew that there weren't that many because of the cold. Of course, a lot of groups... I got awfully pissed at the guy next to Carol that snatched a Chipotle Stress Ball right out of the air that was coming right at me during the pre-game... I mean REALLY pissed... I don't even come up to his shoulders and he reached in front of Carol to do it... I was robbed...
I'm not used to a team that doesn't shoot all that much. I remember games where we actually had 60 shots for a game just a season ago. In the 1st Period tonight, the Wolves had 3 shots. Now, on the plus side - we had 2 goals on those 3 shots (we both wound up with 27 shots for the night).
We were up 3-2 toward the end of the game. With 4.3 seconds left, Alexandre Giroux had a Power Play goal. (The Power Play was because Rockford pulled their goalie to add a man.. and somehow they eventually wound up with too many men on the ice)
After that, I'm not really sure what happened. I wasn't paying attention... I remember the goal... the teams were skating back to the bench to change lines... i looked away...
... Next thing I know, the benches are fighting... somebody from Rockford reached around the partition that separates the benches and hit one of our guys in the face... the officials are trying to stop the mêlée that ensued. I remember one linesmen going down after trying to step between two combatants as they lost their footing. it's a mess... players are trying to hold team members back. OK, well, goalie Robert Gherson was laughing his ass off holding on to someone... but still, things were bad.
Next thing I know, the ref is skating away from the bench and signals the time keeper by using a finger, pointing downward, and circling it ... sure enough he told him to just run down the clock - this wasn't going to get fixed to be able to play out the 4.3 seconds left on the clock.
By the time everyone gets off the ice, both coaches get a Game misconduct - Coach (75.5(iii)), both Fahey's (there was on on each side) get 10 minute Misconduct - Unsportsmanlike conduct (75.4), one guy on each side gets both a 10 minute Misconduct - Unsportsmanlike conduct (75.4) and a Game misconduct - Unsportsmanlike conduct (75.5(i))... and you just want to know what made a Rockford guy get a 10 minute Misconduct - Abuse of officials (40.4).
(Game Summary - Gamesheet) « hide the extended part of this entry
posted at 10:16 PM | Link | Wolves | Care to comment? | § |
Saturday, January 19, 2008
Wolves 5 - Monarchs 2
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It was COLD tonight... we're in the middle of a Wind Chill Advisory until noon tomorrow. I totally expected an empty arena.
Wrong - 12,022 in attendance. My guess - mostly groups. Still, a great turnout considering the weather.
Unfortunately, because of the group sales, again, they were a bunch of "amateurs". They just weren't paying attention, getting up during play... and then ANOTHER one of my oh-so-many pet peeves: parents just not paying attention to their children, as evidenced by the kid next to carol that kept kicking her as he was crawling all over the seat during the game.
We haven't actually seen the Manchester Monarchs before (great colors - a royal purple and gold). It seems that all of these teams that we don't see often (because they're in different conferences and divisions) seem to be stronger skaters. Not bigger necessarily, but faster, stronger. It makes watching the play a lot more fun. When the score was finally tied 1-1, I had no idea that the Wolves would actually score 4 more goals (especially after Robert Gherson let the first goal softly trickle in)...
Another item for the game - 2 referees. We don't normally see that at our games, and we had never see either of these guys before (Kyle Rehman and Mike McGeough). I could see where this would be be so advantageous, as one of the refs would always be behind the play and it would cut down on some of the "chippyness" that is just so common.
Oh, speaking of jerseys... the Wolves have had this whole promotional campaign this year that is somewhat patterned after the presidential campaigns here "Vote Wolves 2008 - Hockey for the fans". This game was one of the three where the Wolves were wearing special red-whit-blue jerseys that are being auctioned-off for charity tomorrow (they always have 2 jerseys a year that specially designed to be auctioned for charities... the other jersey is always for St. Patrick's Day)
(Game Summary - Gamesheet) « hide the extended part of this entry
posted at 10:47 PM | Link | Wolves | Care to comment? | § |
Saturday, January 12, 2008
Wolves 5 - Marlies 4
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Cool game: The two first place teams in the Western Conference. Before the game, Toronto was 25-8-0-4 with 54 points and the Wolves were 27-9-1-0 with 55 points.
And, it turned into a good game... after a while. A bit more exciting as it went. It just felt a bit tense along the way.
And.. still... what the hell is a Marlie? (Thank you Wikipedia... "The team is named after the former Toronto Marlboroughs junior hockey team, but the abbreviated "Marlies" name was chosen to avoid any potential association with the similarly named cigarette brand.)
Couple of cool non-game related things:
Before the game, Chris Marinucci dropped the ceremonial puck.
Second thing: Just seeing some of the fans that for some reason all showed up tonight. No Bob & Chris, and Laura is back at college and Joey is probably off somewhere... but to have LeRoy and Patti back in front of us was great. And to have Scotty and Joe show up.. .and re-spark the Penalty Box Police. It was a lot of fun as a fan, just because of these people around us for a change... and it sure is a hell of a lot better than the ignorant disrespectful noobies that are up the section from us...
(Game Summary - Gamesheet) « hide the extended part of this entry
posted at 10:39 PM | Link | Wolves | Care to comment? | § |
Monday, October 29, 2007
Stealing a TacoOn the way home from work today, I had to stop by Taco Bell.
Now... why would I do that... and why would you care?
Because everyone in the United States is getting a free taco today. Now... again... why?
Because Taco Bell ran a promotion that was called "Steal a Base Steal a Taco". In a nutshell, if anybody in the World Series steals a base in a World Series game, America gets a free a free crunchy seasoned beef taco .
So - there it was: last Thursday, Game 2, bottom of the 4th. - Thank You Boston Red Sox rookie center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury (he walked after two out, and stole second in a 2-1 win by Boston over Colorado)
The place wasn't crowded at all... you could only cash-in today from 2pm-5pm. I can't imagine what the chain's 5,800 stores were like during all of this.
read more of this entry »
EVENT: Taco Bell Corp. ("Taco Bell") is tapping into the national pastime with a completely outside the bun idea: During any game of the 2007 World Series (the "Games"), currently scheduled for Wednesday, October 24, 2007, Thursday, October 25, 2007, Saturday, October 27, Sunday, October 28, 2007, Monday, October 29, 2007 (if necessary), Wednesday, October 31, 2007 (if necessary), Thursday, November 1, 2007, (if necessary), Games or event dates and times determined in the sole discretion of the Office of the Commissioner of Baseball, and/or Major League Baseball Properties, Inc., as applicable, and are subject to change, Taco Bell will offer the prize identified below for ANY "stolen base" as determined by Taco Bell in its sole discretion. For purposes of this event, an eligible "stolen base" is defined as a base stolen during regulation or extra innings play and is subject to the determination/designation of the official Major League Baseball scorekeeper as an official stolen base. Any attempted stolen base which does not result in an official stolen base as defined herein, will not be eligible for the "Free Taco" as outlined herein. If a base is stolen during regulation or extra innings play by any player for either team, Taco Bell will offer every person in the U.S. the opportunity to obtain one (1) free Crunchy Seasoned Beef Taco (Approximate Retail Value 77¢, prices may vary) ("Free Taco") at participating Taco Bell® restaurants in the United States on the date designated herein. No product substitution, cash redemption or alternative will be allowed. Only one (1) Free Taco will be permitted per person, regardless of how many eligible bases are stolen during the Games. In the event the Games are not played on October 24-November 1, 2007, the offer will be good during any Games of the 2007 MLB World Series to be announced.
ELIGIBILITY: No Purchase Necessary. This offer is open to legal residents of the fifty (50) United States and the District of Columbia only. Void in all other territories, possessions, commonwealths and all other countries. Void where prohibited. MLB Entities (as defined below) and employees thereof are ineligible.
SPONSOR: Taco Bell Corp., 17901 Von Karman Avenue, Irvine, CA 92614.
HOW TO OBTAIN A FREE TACO: If an eligible base was stolen during the Games, Taco Bell will make an announcement through selected media channels, including a press release and its web site (www.tacobell.com), that eligible consumers can obtain their free Crunchy Seasoned Beef Taco on Tuesday, October 30, 2007 (if base is stolen in Games 1 or 2 on October 24 or October 25, 2007) OR November 6, 2007 (if base is stolen in Games 3-7, October 27, 28, 29, 31, November 1, 2007) ("Redemption Date") only. To obtain the Free Taco, consumers must visit any participating Taco Bell® restaurant in one of the fifty (50) the United States or District of Columbia between 2:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. (local time) on the Redemption Date only and request a Free Crunchy Seasoned Beef Taco. Free Taco's will not be offered on any other date or time, regardless of circumstance. Limit one (1) Free Crunchy Seasoned Beef Taco per person. Participating Taco Bell restaurant manager reserves the right to deny Free Taco to any person he/she reasonably believes has already received a Free Taco or has engaged in any other fraudulent activity. All eligible consumers: Everyone in line at a participating Taco Bell restaurant before 5:00 p.m. local time will receive a Free Taco, even if it is provided after 5:00 p.m. Free Taco offer is subject to store availability and Taco Bell reserves the right to substitute an item of equal or greater value if due to unavailability. All restaurant managers decisions are final regarding to Free Taco offer. As a condition of the offer, consumers agree: (a) to release, and hold harmless Major League Baseball Properties, Inc., Major League Baseball Enterprises, Inc., MLB Advanced Media, L.P., MLB Media Holdings, Inc., MLB Media Holdings, L.P., MLB Online Services, Inc., the Office of the Commissioner of Baseball, and the Major League Baseball Clubs, and each of their respective shareholders, employees, parents, directors, officers, affiliates, representatives, agents, successors, and assigns (hereinafter,"MLB Etities") and Sponsor and their affiliates, subsidiaries, retailers, sales representatives, distributors and franchisees, and each of their officers, directors, employees and agents ("Promotional Parties"), from any and all claims, demands, losses, promises, causes of action, and liabilities, in this contest/promotion or any use/misuse of the prizes awarded hereunder including a Free Taco, (b) under no circumstances will entrant be permitted to obtain awards for, and participant hereby waives all rights to claim, punitive, incidental, consequential, or any other damages, other than for actual out-of-pocket expenses; (c) all causes of action arising out of or connected with this Offer or any Free Taco or any advertising, marketing, promotion or publicity materials in connection therewith, shall be resolved individually, without resort to any form of class action; and (d) any and all claims, judgments, and award shall be limited to actual out-of-pocket costs incurred, excluding attorneys' fees and court costs. By participating, consumers agree that all issues and questions concerning the construction, validity, interpretation and enforceability of these Official Rules, participant's rights and obligations, or the rights and obligations of the Sponsor in connection with the Sweepstakes, shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of State of California, without giving effect to any choice of law or conflict of law rules. By entering, entrants consent to the jurisdiction and venue of the federal, state and local courts for Irvine, California.
Taco Bell is an official sponsor of Major League Baseball Properties, Inc. Major League Baseball trademarks and copyrights used with permission of Major League Baseball Properties, Inc. Contest not produced or executed by any MLB Entity. « hide the extended part of this entry
posted at 04:50 PM | Link | Mundane | Care to comment? | § |
Sunday, October 28, 2007
Another season overBoston sweeps Colorado in the World Series... and thus brings to a close another baseball season...
My heart goes into hibernation until the spring...
posted at 11:32 PM | Link | Mundane | Care to comment? | § |
Saturday, October 13, 2007
Wolves 2 - Admirals 1 - Overtime - Home Opener
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Back at the Allstate Arena for some AHL Hockey action. The season has started, and it's time to settle-in and start to gear-up to support the Chicago Wolves again. We watched the Season Opener in Houston last week and were mildly impressed with what we saw - again, new team, new faces, but some names that we enjoyed seeing again. I feel good about this year - I'm not as negative as I've been about this team as I have been in prior years... 10,209 showed-up, down from last year... but still a decent showing.
Nothing new around the Allstate Arena... the open and player introductions are about the same... even the faces in the seats around us of the returning Season Ticket holders are all there... and, you know... that's not a bad thing...
(Game Summary - Gamesheet) « hide the extended part of this entry
posted at 10:46 PM | Link | Wolves | Care to comment? | § |
Saturday, October 06, 2007
So sorry.The Natural Order of things has returned to normal in Chicago.
posted at 08:31 PM | Link | Cubs | Care to comment? | § |
Sunday, September 30, 2007
White Sox 3 - Tigers 13
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The sun was low... shadows stretched across the entire playing field... children were running the bases... Nancy Faust was playing Auld Lang Syne ...
That was my last memory of U.S. Cellular Field as baseball season ended on the South Side of Chicago.
Many fans would - and did - say "Thank God THAT's over".
The Sox ended the season 72-90 - 24 games behind the division leading Cleveland Indians in 4th place.
One year ago, we ended the season 90-72. Interesting symmetry. (and then there was 2005 when we finished 99-63... and WON THE WORLD SERIES...)
Such a PAINFUL season... seams like it was just yesterday, but it was about 25½ weeks ago, when the season started, starting the same pitcher as today - Jose Contreras... who lost that Opening Day 12-5 against the Indians... seamed a fitting way to "bookend" the Season - 5-12 & 13-3.
What a disaster. A season that started with pundits claiming we may have the best bullpen in the majors, only to find out we didn't have starters that were ready to play, we didn't have ANY bullpen... and NO ONE was hitting to provide run support for the lousy pitching.
And here it is... the end of the baseball season... the time where I have always said in this blog, that the clock that I measure my life against stops... and doesn't start again until spring...
...and here, in the City of Chicago, where we won over many of the hearts of baseball fans just two short years ago by bringing a world championship to the city... all of those fans we won over... all of the goodwill that we had made...
IS GONE
... all because the Chicago National League Ball Club, Inc. has made it to the post season... and dreams of winning the first World Series in 99 years swirl through their heads...
All I can think of are all of those fans that spewed their HATRED of White Sox fans, in the vilest of comments, even as we made it through the playoffs .. .and to the World Series.. AND WON THE DAMN THING... when the city should just rejoice and celebrate, those fans did not... as they spat upon the ticker tape parade... those who didn't have the sense of mind to just SHUT THE HELL UP because your team did NOTHING that year... it was THEN that I realized that I would NEVER support THAT team...
To them, I will live my life through the post season as they had lived through ours in 2005.
(Boxscore) « hide the extended part of this entry
posted at 04:57 PM | Link | White Sox | Care to comment? | § |
Saturday, September 29, 2007
White Sox 3 - Tigers 2
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It wasn't until the past MONDAY that Fox decided NOT to broadcast today's game, so the team moved the game to 6:05pm... which allowed United Airlines to sponsor the final fireworks night of the year.
What an odd game... first, as one of our runners was advancing to 2nd (i think on a bunt) the 2nd base umpire falls down and blocks the bag from the second baseman, so he couldn't get near the runner to tag him out (which caused manager Jim Leyland to go nuts and gets thrown out)... and then on a hit to right, the Tigers' Right Fielder Ryan Raburn... who overruns the ball... and as it goes through his legs, our runner scores and we win the game.
One other what I would consider funny story, this time before the game started:
On the left field scoreboard, they we showing the standings for each division... and usually just showing the top 2 teams, showing their won-loss record as well as how many games behind the teams were behind each leader...
...So... when in came time to show the National League Central standings, apparently the scoreboard staff just couldn't get themselves to do it, because all that was shown was "NL Central Standings" and the W L and GB column headings... the rest of the data was BLANK.
(Boxscore) « hide the extended part of this entry
posted at 01:57 PM | Link | White Sox | Care to comment? | § |
Friday, September 28, 2007
Wolves 3 - Monsters 6 - PRESEASON
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Well, since our baseball season seamed to evaporate many many MANY weeks ago, we start to turn our attention toward... Hockey Season.
And, since the AHL is so cheap to go watch... and since they were playing at their practice facility which is in OUR TOWN at the Hoffman Estates Park District Community Center & Ice Arena - we went to a preseason game of the Chicago Wolves against a brand new team - the Lake Erie Monsters.
I felt bad for those guys when they took to the ice... because the only jerseys they had, were obviously practice jerseys that just had their numbers on them - both front and back - and no team emblem/logo on the front.
Our guys... well.. they didn't have their names on their backs... perhaps because MOST of the guys on the ice will be gone by Monday, but at least their jerseys looked like they've played before.
Though, after about 35 minutes of play you knew that most of them didn't play .. at least in the AHL.
I mean... 6 unanswered goals?
like i said... preseaon... we don't get very attached to them... I'll start worrying when the season starts next week... « hide the extended part of this entry
posted at 10:04 PM | Link | Wolves | Care to comment? | § |
Sunday, August 05, 2007
A bit of relief?On Thursday morning, I lamented about I how I was feeling due to Baseball in Chicago.
I feel only SLIGHTLY better today.
The Sox won 4 straight, sweeping the Detroit Tigers knocking them out of first place, and are 7-3 in their last 10.
The Cubs lost tonight, are 5-5 in their last 10, and dropped a game out of first place.
Now, look... this has been just a crazy year... and I'm not saying that these teams are finally doing what I had expected them to do... far from it.
It's Chicago. It's August.
ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN. You just never know.
posted at 09:35 PM | Link | Baseball | Care to comment? | § |
Thursday, August 02, 2007
A city full of tiesMy world is crumbling in front of me...
My team, the Chicago White Sox are tied for last place in the AL Central Division (13 games out with the Kansas City Royals).
And... there's that "other" team... the Chicago Cubs are tied for first in the NL Central Division with the Milwaukee Brewers (6 games ahead of the St. Louis Cardinals).
I feel ill.
And, with the Cubs up for sale, I have to admit that there's a noble campaign going on: a group of Chicagoans working to facilitate a fan-owned buyout of the Chicago Cubs and restore the voice of the fans within baseball - 4FansSake.com
posted at 08:19 AM | Link | Baseball | Care to comment? | § |
Sunday, July 29, 2007
White Sox 1 - Blue Jays 4
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Uuugghh...
Well, 2-out-of-3.
At least we got to see Thumbelina before the game.
Another fast game - 2:21. Guess that happens when nobody scores for 7 innings. I seem to have a problem with Javier Vazquez. Now, I know he's a really hot pitcher right now, but I've been feeling that he just can't go long anymore... he feels like he just falls apart, and is very inconsistent. Ozzie came out to the mound for a visit in the 8th... and when I saw Ozzie leave, I said that was a mistake. Sure enough, 4 runs later (well, 2 were earned, and one scored when Bukvich came in, another pitcher I'd rather not see again).
Oh, and I have to say... it was nice to see Frank Thomas again... and it was nice to have the crowd give him a warm welcome... 503 homeruns in his career so far (448 with the White Sox over 16 seasons)
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posted at 04:43 PM | Link | White Sox | Care to comment? | § |
Saturday, July 28, 2007
White Sox 2 - Blue Jays 0
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In a season that is just the crappiest baseball season that I could remember in years... decades perhaps... tonight was a game that was really quite enjoyable.
First the weather - it's seems like ages since we've been to a game and actually sat in our seats... a great night, cloudless, mid-70's.. OK, a little breezy, but a good night.
To add to that - a great pitching matchup: Roy Halladay against our Mark Buehrle.
It was just a low scoring, fast paced game... pretty well played, I think (yes there were errors on both sides) and.. yes.. we left 9 guys on base. But, hey, it was just nice to really enjoy a good baseball game.
Somehow I felt we were owed that.
Now... if you could call this a negative, and normally I would never do that, the game was short: 2:07.
Now WHY OH WHY would that be a negative? It's fireworks night... hard to enjoy fireworks when the sky is still light.
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posted at 09:34 PM | Link | White Sox | Care to comment? | § |
Sunday, July 08, 2007
White Sox 6 - Twins 3
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Gametime temperature - 90... I think that was a lie, only because we saw a thermometer on the way home that said 100. MUCH windier today, too
Still hot upstairs... went back down to the Rain Room for two passes today.
So... we won again today, and wound up actually splitting the 4 game series! I NEVER would have thought that possible after Friday night.
Javier Vasquez threw another complete game. Three homeruns by Mackowiak, Thome and Konerko.
After the last out, we see camera shots of Mark Buehrle, out of the dugout, waving to the fans. Of course, the Stadium Club people in charge of the audio/video feed to the room SUCK BIG TIME, and we couldn't hear what was going on, but in the light of the trade rumors, the rumors about an impasse in his contract talks... it was hard to interpret what was going on... was he waving goodbye to the Chicago fans? was he waving saying "well thanks for the support on the first half... hope to see ya in the second half"?
The scoreboard in left field finally displayed the announcement, that apparently Gene Honda was reading of the stadium P.A. :
MARK BUEHRLE AND THE CHICAGO
WHITE SOX HAVE AGREED ON
A FOUR-YEAR CONTRACT
EXTENSION THIS AFTERNOON THAT
WILL KEEP MARK
IN A SOX UNIFORM
So, here we are at the All-Star break - 36-47 (.453), 13 games behind 1st place Detroit (Cleveland is in 2nd, just a game back, and Minnesota - that we just split with - is ahead of us 8 games back... oh... and Kansas City is in last behind us, 2 games back from us)
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posted at 06:05 PM | Link | White Sox | Care to comment? | § |
Saturday, July 07, 2007
White Sox 3 - Twins 1
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VERY HARD to get excited about going to the game today. VERY HARD. I'll start first by saying that the weather is going to be bad this weekend, and it should have been in the 90's for the start of the game (though the boxscore says gametime was 85 degrees). It was going to be miserable, so we made reservations for the Stadium Club Bar, on the glass for great views. Both days, since tomorrow would be even hotter.
Well... let's talk about the other reason(s) why making the pilgrimage to the park is difficult. We're 37-47 coming into today - 10 games under .500 - a stark difference from the World Series year, or even being in contention last year. In 4th place in the division, 13 games behind the leader.
To add insult to injury, the team played two games yesterday, the first being a makeup from a freeze-out in early April. Talking about frozen... the score of the first game yesterday? 20-14. You didn't read that wrong - it was 2 runs shy of tying the American League record for Total Runs in a Game at 36. Normally, 14 runs is enough to kill your opponent - not yesterday. It got out of hand when starting pitcher Jon Garland only made it through 3 1/3 innings throwing 90 pitches to 25 batters, giving up 11 earned runs (12 total), 2 homeruns, 3 walks and not a single strikeout. Oh, the team not only gave up 20 runs but 21 hits, 8 walks (ooooo! 1 strikeout!) and 5 errors. And we still scored 14 runs, and had the bases loaded in the 9th.
So, you would think: put that behind you the second game will be different. We lose the second game 12-0. NO RUNS... 5 hits.
Between two games, we lost 32-14.
And you wonder why we didn't want to go to the game today? The Stadium Club was warm, and there was no air circulation against the glass where we were... we just kept drinking water, having the server bring us glasses of ice. During the course of the game I went downstairs and took a quick dash through the Rain Room to get wet and cool off. I noticed, however, when I was downstairs that it really didn't feel all that bad... I mean, it was hot, but there was a slight breeze... and just having the air move made it feel better...
Speaking of feeling better, the Sox WON the game 3-1. Mark Buehrle had a solid outing. We won, but it felt bittersweet as Buehrle has been the subject of MANY rumors about his contract negotiotions... and with him being the pitching star of the team, and the team doing so poorly, It would be hard to not deal him to get something back to put this tam back together.
But we WON... today.
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posted at 08:05 PM | Link | White Sox | Care to comment? | § |
Friday, May 04, 2007
Wolves 4 - Stars 5 - West Division Final Game 2
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3,936 - a bit more than Wednesday...
...and a different team showed-up to play, a team we hadn't seen in the playoffs: slower, fatigued.
They struggled the whole game to gain the lead and hold it, and just couldn't get it together at the end.
(Ga
me Summary - Gamesheet) « hide the extended part of this entry
posted at 11:04 PM | Link | Wolves | Care to comment? | § |
Wednesday, May 02, 2007
Wolves 7 - Stars 0 - West Division Final Game 1
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Well, I didn't talk about it, but the Wolves swept Milwaukee and made it to the next round, which quite frankly shocked us.
So, here we are in the next round against the Iowa Stars. 2,408 in attendance - pretty typical for a weeknight playoff game. And what a game - 2 goals in the first 1:03, the last goal with 8 seconds left in the game, and our 6th goal was a shorthanded empty-netter. A VERY strong game, a shutout, and we forced them to change goalies.
I love the way we've been playing...
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posted at 10:18 PM | Link | Wolves | Care to comment? | § |
Sunday, April 29, 2007
White Sox 2 - Angels 5posted at 04:57 PM | Link | White Sox | Care to comment? | § |
Saturday, April 28, 2007
White Sox 0 - Angels 3
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This is already pretty far into the season, but today is the first day we are at the ballpark and actually sitting in our seats. These actual seats have been replaced since last year, and are the new forest green color, with a vented back (makes it look slats like an old-time seat), matching the other seats that were replaced last year. Now, the whole park is forest green - a wonderful look, something I've wanted for years. They also have another feature - the old blue seats faced directly straight out from the rows. The old seats actually faced the outfield from where we sit (down the 1st base line, out past first base, but before where the right-fielder would normally stand). The new seats, while still in rows facing outward (parallel to the concrete rows), are actually "canted" about 22 degrees toward the plate, giving a better view!
Be careful what you wish for - the seats are a smidge narrower to accommodate the tilt, and also there is slightly less leg room (which for us short people, isn't really a big deal).
Nice crowd tonight, too - 38,208, though a bit... strange. not paying attention, slow walking, stopping, not paying attention to people around them.
Too bad we lost again.
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posted at 10:52 PM | Link | White Sox | Care to comment? | § |
Sunday, April 22, 2007
Wolves 4 - Admirals 1 - West Division Semifinal Game 2
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What the hell are we doing in a building that is this cold? The weather FINALLY has just busted open... it was 83°F outside!!!! OK, it was a little windy, but it was hot! Well, maybe hot is a little strong.
The intensity was almost the same, but we just dominated again... OK, not really the same intensity, but sort of close... The Admirals Booster Club was back in the same place... confident that their team would take the series back...
No such luck. And yes, their one goal was going to happen with the way they were swarming the net.
Now, for a team that I wrote-off before the playoff, they lead a Best Of 7 series 2-0...
Have to watch getting too confident...
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posted at 08:46 PM | Link | Wolves | Care to comment? | § |
Friday, April 20, 2007
Wolves 3 - Admirals 2 - West Division Semifinal Game 1
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So, after a year absence, it's back to Playoff hockey for the Wolves.
WOW.
I noticed the last time that we played the Admirals: The intensity of the play was so escalated. And no in the playoffs, we were able to see that first hand. Speed, scrappiness, always going after the puck, always trying to control. We SO outplayed the Admirals in the first two periods.
Now - third period? OK, different story. The energy level wasn't exactly the same. And then, they allowed a Penalty Shot (though we question on whether the penalty that happened really warranted the shot) which brought them to one goal of a tie...
Was SO enjoying the game though... I just hope they can keep this up.
Oh... and the added little... ummm... entertainment... the Admirals Booster Club was seated the next section over... yeah... they tried to cheer their team on... they were pretty cocky... but they were awfully quiet each time we scored...
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posted at 10:44 PM | Link | Wolves | Care to comment? | § |
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
Wolves 5 - Moose 2
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Ok... 7 penalties all game, making for a nice intense struggle throughout the game. It was still strange though...
Why?
The first 6 penalties were all Hooking calls. We were convince the ref (Dean Morton) only knew the one infraction, and couldn't call anything else. It tool until 7:40 in the 3rd to get a different penalty (Cross-checking).
Oh.. and we didn't know if our last goal counted, since it happened right at the final horn...green light no red light... then the red light came on later... sure enough, looking at the game summary, they scored at at 19:59 in the 3rd (scored by Darren Haydar, his 38th of the season)
(Game Summary - Gamesheet)
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posted at 10:17 PM | Link | Wolves | Care to comment? | § |
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
Wolves 4 - Rivermen 3
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In my twisted sort of way, I like it when there are only 3,918 in attendance, compared to Saturday when there was 12,829 against the Admirals
Highlight: Brett Sterling's hat trick
Oh... and when we left the game, it was sleeting, and the cars had piles of ice on them... this after the 73°... I knew that was going to be short lived...
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posted at 10:31 PM | Link | Wolves | § |
Saturday, March 10, 2007
Wolves 4 - Admirals 6
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What an odd, strange game... and not in a good way...
The Wolves scored at 4:13 into the period - it was the first shot of the game for both teams. Milwaukee didn't have a shot on goal until 15:45 into the period! We were up 3-0 until 18:24 in the first. Now, this is important, because after being up 3-0, Milwaukee had 5 unanswered goals through 17:32 in the 3rd.. .how do you lose a 3 goal lead? Now, I've complained about our goalie situation all year... they are inept and we will never get through the playoffs without a good netminder... only thing worse that this team does, is pulling the goalie when down by a goal. the defense just can't support that. Sure enough, we let them into the zone and they scored at 19:57 in the third.
It's all about the net, people...
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posted at 10:44 PM | Link | Wolves | § |
Saturday, March 03, 2007
Wolves 3 - Bulldogs 6
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Wow... the start of the game was great... hardly a whistle... for a penalty OR offsides... and the energy and intensity were through the roof... and then the rest of the game happened...
On the plus side, Jason Krog is back with the team and scored two goals...
On the negative side, we just don't have a reliable goalie... tonight was Freddie Brathwaite's turn to suck, imitating a sieve for a piece of time on the ice tonight...
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posted at 10:07 PM | Link | Wolves | § |
Friday, March 02, 2007
He can be worth how much?Have you heard about this story about a minor league pitcher?
Matt White. 29 years old. Only pitched 9 2/3 innings in the majors, over 9 professional seasons in just 7 games. Journeyman. He's a non-roster invitee to Dodgers spring training. Can he make the team? Doubtful, I think. But, I think he'll do OK...
Flash back 3 years ago. His great aunt was going into a nursing home and needed to raise some cash. He bought a 50-acre mountain-top lot of hers for $50,000.
He starts to clear 4 acres of the land to build a house, but had problems because they kept hitting these large flat rocks. There was so much rock, that he called a local geologist at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst to find out what it was.
It's mica schist, a slate-like shiny metamorphic stone used for patio decks and other construction.
OK, cool... you can sell it. It sells for $100 a ton. Now, it's gonna cost money to get the rock removed.
But... let's do some quick calculations...
$100 per ton... The geologist estimated there were 24 million tons of the stone on his land.
This journeyman pitcher, that didn't make more than $300,000 in his entire career... is sitting on... potentially...
$2.4 BILLION of rock.
posted at 08:48 AM | Link | Baseball | § |
Saturday, February 24, 2007
Wolves 0 - Knights 2
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The story here is actually the weather... it's miserable, Winter Storm Warnings... Carol continually questioned me and commented as we drove toward the Allstate Arena. It was sloppy. Fortunately there weren't a lot of people on the road, but it was very slow going... I was surprised on how many cars were in the parking lot. Clearly, this was... or was going to be... a well-attended game. Another way to tell - The Grille was open for business - it's only open and staffed when there's a good crowd.
Clearly, the AHL counts tickets sold and not turnstile for attendance figure, because the official attendance tonight is listed as 14,113.
This wasn't the same team that we had saw the last time we were here. Lethargic. We were outshot 15-5 in the first period. I took a walk during the first intermission - I saw somebody going outside for a smoke, and it looked like a blizzard outside..
The game sucked - another 1-0 game... until they pulled our goalie in the last minute... dumb move if your defense hasn't stepped-up. Omaha scored.
Speaking of Omaha, this is the first time that we saw this team. The Omaha Ak-Sar-Ben Knights. Odd name. Ak-Sar-Ben is Nebraska spelled backward. And speaking of spelling...
...the tickets for tonight's game, as well as tickets for another game coming up, where all misprinted.. instead of saying
OMAHA AK-SAR-BEN KNIGHTS
it says
OHAMA AK-SAR-BEN KNIGHTS
...how embarassing...
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posted at 10:50 PM | Link | Wolves | § |
Sunday, February 11, 2007
Wolves 6 - Crunch 2
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What a great game for a change! All six goals scored by someone different - everybody stepping up... a nice change... (2 powerplay and one shorthanded, too)
This was the first home game in a few weeks.. they've been on the road for 9 games... all in Canada.. I think their record was 5-2-1-1 which is pretty good for them.. points in all but 2 games.
Always strange seeing a former Wolves player on an opposing team - today it was Ben Simon - he hasn't been with the Wolves since the 2004-05 season, and he's been up and down since, but.. i remember the guy... Carol claims she never heard of him... thought she would remember Benny.. and he had 3 penalties tonight...
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posted at 07:50 PM | Link | Wolves | § |
Wednesday, January 17, 2007
Wolves 4 - Marlies 5
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Boy, this is getting messy... a team comes to town with a losing record, and yet we play down to their level.
And what does the Team Name mean anyway?
Only redeeming point was not the game itself, but the regular Wednesday Night food eating contest during the first intermission called "Hungry Hungry Humpday". This week - MY FAVORITE snack - Edy's (or Dreyer's) Dibs. It was how many Ice Cream Dibs (I don't know the flavor, but it looked like vanilla) you can eat in 4 minutes. I SO could have done this contest... and, it turned out, that it wasn't how many you can eat in 4 minutes, but rather how quick you could eat the 60 Dibs in the bucket, Since the winner finished before the 4 minute mark. If ever there was a food to eat in "Hungry Hungry Humpday", this was mine. I wish I knew about it...
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posted at 10:44 PM | Link | Wolves | § |
Saturday, January 13, 2007
Wolves 3 - Bulldogs 6posted at 10:37 PM | Link | Wolves | § |
Friday, January 12, 2007
Wolves 0 - Pengiuns 1
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Great matchup tonight - The Wolves (26-12-1-2) and Penguins (26-7-2-2) are the number one and two offensive powers in the league. A little boring, but hard fought, ending in the first shutout of the season for the Wolves.
DDarren Haydar had ended his 39-game point streak on Tuesday. His point streak finished tied with Wayne Gretzky for the fourth-longest of its kind in professional hockey history, as well as an American Hockey League and Wolves franchise record, and he leads the league with 55 assists and 79 points.
The non-hockey sort of related item - the 5 millionth fan came through the turnstile.
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posted at 10:34 PM | Link | Wolves | § |
Saturday, December 30, 2006
Wolves 3 - Americans 5
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What a lousy game... the boys were outplayed big time... they were stronger, faster, more intense. I'm still not liking Fred Brathwaite in goal... in two periods the Wolves held Rochester to just 7 shots... but Freddie allowed 3 goals on those 7 shots (we out shot them 39 to 15).
There was another almost depressing thing... the league's Points Leader Darren Haydar looked like he just wasn't getting setup and taking shots all night. Then, with 8.8 seconds left in the game, he finally gets an assist on a shorthanded goal.
Why was this noteworthy? He leads the AHL with 53 assists and 75 points (the most by a player in Wolves history through 36 outings) and ranks fifth with 22 goals. He has more assists than any player in the league has points, (excluding linemate Brett Sterling.) His +24 plus/minus rating is also the best in the league. They guy is good, fun to watch... I thought he wouldn't get a point in this sloppy game...
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posted at 10:44 PM | Link | Wolves | § |
Saturday, December 16, 2006
Wolves 2 - Admirals 3 (Shoot-out)posted at 10:33 PM | Link | Wolves | 1 comment | § |
Tuesday, December 05, 2006
Wolves 5 - Stars 2
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A typical weekday night - 4,028 people there... and Carol and I were talking that, we like it when it's empty. Oh sure, we love when there nobody sitting around us, so they're not standing up and trying to get something to drink or eat in the middle of play (Hey! Idiot! Wait for the whistle!). But even better is being able to hear more of what is going on during the game: the sound of the skates, the passing, the checks, the yelling from the bench...
A pretty good game tonight... we had 4 goals in the 3rd, one shorthanded, 2 within a minute of each other...
Oh, and the referee, Shaun Davis, was whistle happy with Interference calls, including one of Goaltender Interference against Nathan Oystrick when he hit Dan Ellis when he was out past the circles playing a puck! How is that interference? Did we not see something????
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posted at 10:23 PM | Link | Wolves | § |
Saturday, December 02, 2006
Wolves 5 - Rampage 4posted at 10:25 PM | Link | Wolves | § |
Saturday, November 18, 2006
Wolves 5 - Griffins 3
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American Hockey League season-high 13,718 people at the game tonight.
First, the team: being away from home for a few weeks has really helped the team. We've had only 1 loss on the road, and they brought that discipline home. They played very well tonight... they're a lot faster than prior years, and they seem to setup plays a bit better... though goalie Michael Garnett needs to be chained to the net to stop him from roaming so much.
Now, let's talk about the 13,718 idiots at the game...
WAIT FOR THE WHISTLE!!!
All of the damn group sales people, sitting in the middle of our section, who just don't understand that YOU DO NOT STAND UP AND MOVE THROUGH YOUR ROW TO LEAVE TO GO... SOMEWHERE... WHILE PLAY IS GOING ON.
A steady, continuous stream of kids, parents, parents and kids, and 20-somethings needing beer developed thoughout the game... disturbing us... the people behind us... the people behind them... ad infinitum...
I am thoroughly surprised that we saw any of the game, let alone seeing the goals... oh, and that last series of fights all going at the same time (i have never seen a player give up during a fight)
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posted at 10:47 PM | Link | Wolves | § |
Sunday, November 05, 2006
7-1Boy, the team looked BAD... and they had to lose against.. the Dolphins???
So much for 16-0...
posted at 03:55 PM | Link | Bears | § |
Thursday, October 26, 2006
Wolves 3 - Phantoms 2
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Our first home win! woot!
I haven't talked about the games much... probably because I've been really distracted this year by the fans around us. There are people that we knew for the prior years that appear to be gone, giving up their tickets. A few people moved around. Then, there are a few new people that we don't remember seeing before.
I haven't been enjoying the games much... other than the team sucking at home, I'm getting pissed at some of the people around us. You tend to notice things more when there's under 4000 people in the place. I'll have to talk about it sometime... there are just idiots at the game... is it because the sport draws this "type"?
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posted at 10:57 PM | Link | Wolves | § |
One year ago today...What happened a year ago tonight?
The Chicago White Sox won the World Series.
It's now time to crown a new champion... and we become.. nothing. Losers. Not even in the playoffs when we should have been.
I'm rooting for St. Louis.. I don't want want the Detroit Tigers to win... that way, in my twisted head, the White Sox will still be the last American League winner of the World Series...
Twisted...
posted at 06:42 PM | Link | White Sox | § |
Tuesday, October 24, 2006
Wolves 4 - Moose 7posted at 10:23 PM | Link | Wolves | § |
Thursday, October 19, 2006
Sticking it to Chicago baseball fansThe title refers to the 2006 World Series.
You see, no matter which Chicago baseball team you favor, root for, die for... this year's World Series has to feel painful.
Why?
Well, if you follow the White Sox (as I do), then having the Detroit Tigers - the team's nemesis from your own division - as the American League rep, just stings like hell.
Now... if you follow that "other" Chicago baseball team (the Chicago Cubs), then you're in the same situation: the team's nemesis from your own division - the St. Louis Cardinals - as the National League representative.
Both representatives from their Central Division. OUR division.
Ouch.. that hurts... (WE should be there!)
posted at 10:44 PM | Link | Baseball | § |
Monday, October 16, 2006
Barely 6-0Monday Night Football - the death knell for the Chicago Bears since 1997, their 5-0 unbeaten record on the line.
Halftime - the Bears look awful, and are losing 20-0. No offense (Rex Grossman looks as if his success has been a fluke), the defense looks terrible against the pass. They suck.
All of a sudden, they returned two fumbles for touchdowns. Then Devin Hester returned a punt 83 yards for a touchdown with 2:58 remaining to take the lead.
Yep.. they won 24-23. 6-0. Unbeaten.
(NFL.Com Gamecenter Game Stats)
posted at 11:12 PM | Link | Bears | § |
Saturday, October 14, 2006
Wolves 1 - Admirals 5
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Another season has come, and we're back at the Allstate Arena for some AHL Hockey action. The Wolves have a 2-0 start to the season, and tonight's the home opener. Half the adventure of the first home game is actually just looking around and seeing what people are back in their seats (some people are missing, some people changed seats, some people don't even look the same!)
The other adventure is seeing the team for the first time... a bunch of guys that we just don't know. And, continuing from last year, a disappointing showing. 12,128 show up to see a loss.
And, unlike last year, there's no local post season baseball to fall back on.
Oh.. and the Milwaukee Admirals? New logo. Has NOTHING to do with an Admiral... it's a stylized skull with a pirate hat...
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posted at 10:36 PM | Link | Wolves | § |
Thursday, October 12, 2006
White Sox + 7-Eleven = 7:11Oh, crap... more ways to get corporate sponsorship (and revenue) at a ball game: White Sox enter partnership with 7-Eleven. Now, guess what times Night Games will start at U.S. Cellular Field during the week during 2007?
Yep. 7:11 pm. For the next three years.
Now... how about even more expensive seats at the park? They're MOVING the Press Box behind Home Plate. The old Press Box on the mezzanine level of the ball park is being converted into a new club lounge featuring 220 premium seats, with a lounge and restaurant-type food service. The new seating area will retain the movable windows of the press box. The seats will cost $250 each and will be available only in a full season-ticket plan, and went on sale Monday. The press gets to move to the 400 Level of the stadium along the first-base side.
The team's only other off-season renovation will be the continued replacement of blue seats to green seats throughout the park. About damn time! We'll finally get our new seats... and rumor has it that they will actually be pitched/turned/twisted to face more toward the plate.
posted at 01:18 PM | Link | White Sox | § |
Tuesday, September 26, 2006
Adding Insult to InjuryLess than 24 hours after being eliminated from play-off contention, guess what I got in a DHL Express packet today?
Yep.
My playoff tickets.
Bastards.
posted at 08:28 PM | Link | White Sox | § |
Monday, September 25, 2006
Officially OverThe White Sox played Cleveland tonight - Lost 14-1.
The team was officially eliminated from the playoffs.
I knew it was coming... it doesn't diminish the hurt that I feel about a team that played so far under their potential.
No ALDS. No ALCS. No World Series.
Crap... I enjoyed them so much last year.. I got used to them.
As far as I am concerned, he season is over. They are dead to me now.
posted at 10:28 PM | Link | White Sox | § |
Sunday, September 24, 2006
White Sox 12 - Mariners 7
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Well, her ewe were.
The last home game of the season.. this God awful season...
That makes it Fan Appreciation Day. Whoopee. I'm not feeling so appreciated.
So.. unlike the past few days... the clouds parted before the game.. replaced by cloudless blue sky.
5 homreuns, 2 by Paul Konerko, includes a Grand Slam by Juan Uribe... and still with a cushion like that, the relievers almost gave up the game.
But.. it's over. No postseason. And... talking to our friends and fans around us, there is almost a sense of physical hurt, Maybe it's withdrawal pains... we had a taste of postseason... and it tasted so good, we wanted more.. and it was snatched away from us by poor play.
My season is over... that time in my lfe each year that excites me and somewhow makes me whole. I have to wait for Aoril 2, 2007 now.
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posted at 04:15 PM | Link | White Sox | § |
Saturday, September 23, 2006
White Sox 11 - Mariners 7
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Thought we dodged the bullet with the rain yesterday...
The damn team was losing 7-2.. it started pouring in the top of the 6th (figures.. the game was official at that point). The sky opened-up... but the umpires took their damn time before they ground crew came out. The rain came down SO hard, that it started to puddle to the left of 1st base. It was bad. Then the crew pulled the tarp onto the field crooked, exposing the top of the diamond between 1st & 2nd. The tarp filled with rain and became too heavy to move. The actual rain part of the delay was under an hour.
It took 45 minutes alone, after the tarp was pulled, to fix the infield dirt, the mound, and around the plate.. the used something like a heavy roller pulled by a John Deer to "squeegee" the puddles in the dirt. Every time they threw an entire bag of the drying compound, it just soaked up the water and was wet again.
It was terrible. it was dangerous.
But... Carol and I had a prior commitment (dinner at B&B for their 25th anniversary), so we actually (gasp!) left the game just as the Sox were taking the field...
So we didn't see the team actually come back from a 7-2 deficit to WIN THE GAME 11-7.
(Boxscore) « hide the extended part of this entry
posted at 05:13 PM | Link | White Sox | § |
Sunday, September 10, 2006
White Sox 2 - Indians 5posted at 04:13 PM | Link | White Sox | § |
Saturday, September 09, 2006
White Sox 10 - Indians 8posted at 11:08 PM | Link | White Sox | § |
Sunday, August 27, 2006
White Sox 6 - Twins 1posted at 04:30 PM | Link | White Sox | § |
Saturday, August 26, 2006
White Sox 7 - Twins 8 - 11 Innings
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It's been a while since we had one of these - a rain delay. Before the game started, the skies opened and it rained these huge friggin' drops. It completely soaked anybody not protected in just seconds. It wasn't a lot of rain, just huge friggin' drops. I... ummm... actually enjoyed it. I had brought my rain slicker with me to the park, anticipating this happening. Sure enough, it did. And I thought it was cool.
OK, I have named my Official Whipping Boy of the team. I knew when I saw the lineup that this would b a problem. Sure enough it was. culprit (in my estimation?) Rob Mackowiak. He defense is a detriment to the team. He continues to mis-play balls, not being able to judge a ball coming off the bat, which has him breaking late for a ball, having most of them sailing over his head or falling in front of him.
Sorry. Get rid of him. He better not be with the club next year.
Jermaine Dye had a 2-run homer in the bottom of the 9th to tie the game, but we lost the game in the 11th by one run. one stinking run.
We should have had this game. If it weren't for Mackowiak's playing, we may have been able to stop them from getting a foothold in the first place.
(Boxscore) « hide the extended part of this entry
posted at 11:48 PM | Link | White Sox | § |
Wednesday, August 16, 2006
How dare youSo, after a WONDERFUL weekend of sweeping the Detroit Tigers, and LOSING to the Kansas City Royals (UPDATE: We lost EVEN WORSE tonight!). what come in the mail today?
THE INVOICE FOR POSTSEASON TICKETS.
Damn you!
Have our seat assignments.. still downstairs but out toward the right field foul pole. Included - parking for all ticketed events, seats to all 3 (possible) American League Division Series, Home Game 2 of the American League Championship Series and Home Game 2 of the World Series.
Excited? Well... yes... if the team would just PLAY a little better..
posted at 05:13 PM | Link | White Sox | § |
Sunday, August 13, 2006
White Sox 7 - Tigers 3
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The weather is almost as good as yesterday, but not quite...
There wasn't as many Detroit fans Friday night as Elvis fans.. in fact, I think the Elvis fans may have locked-out the Detroit fans from getting tickets. MANY Detroit yesterday, very vocal... today, not as many, but still there. There had to be more fights in the stands than during the Cubs series.
I don't like seeing people tempt fate by bringing brooms to the park on the last day of a series. The guy next to Carol had a tiny wheat broom in the adjustable band in the back of his basebal hat, and that seemed acceptable.
Freddie Garcia had a good outing with 6 strikouts, but giving up all three runs. And this time Detroit had onl 1 error.
SWEEP SWEEP SWEEP
NEVER thought we'd do that... that's a 3-game swing, chipping away at Detroit's lead...
(Boxscore) « hide the extended part of this entry
posted at 05:59 PM | Link | White Sox | § |
Saturday, August 12, 2006
White Sox 4 - Tigers 3
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What a great day for a game... THIS was the day... high 70's... blue sky... clean air... nice breeze, oh baby... Best Weather.
Mark Buehrle. 7 strikeouts, no walks, but 3 runs and no decision. Bleh. But, Detroit has 3 errors (2 errors last night as well..) and we struggle and play small ball and get back on top and win by one.
Oh, man... two in a row... against Detroit.. can't get too cocky... it's giong to be hell ltomorrow...
(Boxscore)
« hide the extended part of this entry
posted at 04:57 PM | Link | White Sox | § |
Friday, August 11, 2006
White Sox 5 - Tigers 0
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Central |
DET |
76 |
38 |
.667 |
--- |
SOX |
67 |
46 |
.593 |
8½ |
MIN |
67 |
47 |
.588 |
9 |
CLE |
49 |
64 |
.434 |
26½ |
KAN |
41 |
73 |
.360 |
35 |
That's the standings as of this morning. Doesn't look anything like last year. And we're playing Detroit at home for three games.
Oh, and baby - It's Elvis Night.
Yes, it's time for the annual pilgrimage. We're not even Elvis fans... we just love this night at the park. On the way in, we met my cousin Jane, her husband Richard, her Dad, my Uncle Jim, and her neice (and our goddaughter) Sam, as the stood in line waiting to get in when the gates opened. We stayed outside for a while to see some of the acts in preshow concerts on stages outside the park. In the past few years, we had as the headliner, a great guy called Shawn Klush. This year, we have a young newcomer named Jamie Aaron Kelley. He would be classified as a really young Elvis. He had the stage outside before the game, the National Anthem, and the post game concert inside the park. (His claim to fame is he is the very first person in history to memorize every song that Elvis EVER recorded in his career and then sing them all in public to prove it (and there's a LOT of songs)). I have to admit... bring back Shawn... met-up with my friend and former cowerker Peggy, whose family is always at this event... (she had 18 people in her group this year... sitting behind the plate!)... man I miss her.. she's just great to talk to...
Now, let's get back to the game. This series is SOOOooo critical. And I had NO IDEA that Jose Contreras would pitch the game he did. First career complete game shutout. 101 pitches, 3 hits, 5 strikeouts. Detroit helps with 2 errors... Yes, let's start something...
(Boxscore) « hide the extended part of this entry
posted at 11:52 PM | Link | White Sox | § |
Thursday, August 10, 2006
Not a winner0 – 7 – 2 – 8 – 3 – 1
0 – 1 – 5 – 6 – 2 – 3
0 – 2 – 0 – 8 – 6 – 7
Chicago White Sox Charities 2005 World Series Ring Raffle. 3 fans get a REAL World Series Ring... with their name on it.
Nuts. Didn't win.
posted at 07:14 PM | Link | White Sox | § |
Saturday, July 29, 2006
Grinder BashThe White Sox threw a party for season ticket holders today (actually, on Thursday and Friday, too). They used to do this almost every year. They suspended this or a few years, because the park had renovations being done, almost year long. Now, that the season ticket base has grown so dramatically, the team decided to throw another party.
I LOVE these things. There's something special about being in the park - when the team isn't there playing ball. I took my buddy Barry to share this unusual event.
read more of this entry »
We're in the middle of this god awful heat spell, so the first thing we did was get wristbands to be allowed out onto the field. HUH? Yes, we were allowed to walk out onto the field...
You know how special it is to walk out onto center field of a major league ballpark? Feel the unbelievable grass at your feet.. level... no holes... no weeds... look around and get an idea on how much room a centerfielder has to cover..
We strolled around the field... went into the Sox bullpen, both the dugout and mounds... then off to the Sox dugout... the phones were live.. if you opened-up the box and pulled the phone off-hook, the opposite phone (bullpen-Dugout) would ring automatically... we walked to the visitor's dugout... watched people playing catch in the outfield... we stopped to watch a woman throwing to.. her husband? no arc to her throws, good mechanics, zip on the ball.. she's played... we lapped the field... and we went inside to get something cold to drink in the patio area...we made a mistake by not getting any of the free food (chicken, ribs, dogs, burgers, potato salad, cole slaw)... we walked the tunnel underneath the stands and visited the Visitor's Clubhouse.. looked at the lockers, and ALL OF THE SNACKS AND DRINKS... we walked across the tunnel to the Conference Center, the big conference room still setup for a Post-Game Press Conference... and then we checked out the Scout Seats food and beverage café (REALLY nice)... then we went out of the tunnel, walked up a ramp, onto the main concourse of the park, where we waited.. and waited.. and waited in the heat (no breeze, but no sun either) to look at and get our pictures taken with the World Series Trophy.
That was long and draining for me.. let alone barry, who is still not up to 100% healthy. We walked the outfield concourse.. and got to Fundamentals, which was open. Barry didn't feel comfortable climbing all of those stars, so I went up alone, and saw the batting cages, pitching cages, training field, and the Scott Podsedik Run.
I came back down, we walked into the Patio area for lunch and.. NO FOOD. They had shutdown for the day... we were able to get a cold drink..
It really felt special to be there again. I miss the park. I know I'm there each weekend, but this is sooo much more special.
It makes you feel special.
So.. we left the park.. hungry.. with nothing to do.. so.. we went to Horseshoe to gamble for a couple of hours! « hide the extended part of this entry
posted at 07:03 PM | Link | Mundane | § |
Sunday, July 23, 2006
White Sox 5 - Rangers 0
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Yes, today s a gorgeous day for baseball, finally coming out of the oppressive heat we've had...
And the day starts before the game started, as the White Sox unveiled two new status out on the centerfield concourse, around the Fan Deck in a pre-game ceremony.
The statues were of Luis Aparicio and Nellie Fox, posed as if working together on a double play (Fox flipping a baseball to Aparicio, who was depicted with his glove outstretched, waiting to catch the baseball.).
The statues were unveiled simultaneously, by Aparicio and Joanne Fox, Nellie's widow. I actually broke down sobbing behind my sunglases as I watched Joanne pull the black cloth from off her husbands statue.. because the first thing she did upon seeing it.. was reach out and carress his cheek with her open hand... so sweet. That's five statues out there - following Charles Comiskey, Minnie Minoso and Carlton Fisk.
Aparicio threw out the first pitch to Ozzie Guilen - 2 All-Star Venezuelan shortstops.
The Sox wore throwback uniforms representing the 1908 World Series champions, which, if i remember correctly, didn't go over very well last time.
The game was SOOOooo much better than the last few, ending our 4-game losing streak. Jon Garland is finally coming around.
Unfortunately, after Alex Cintron was drilled by the pitcher Vicente Padilla in the bottom of the third, we all knew that Garland would be instructed to go after somebody (n his last outing against the Sox, Padilla hit A.J. Pierzynski twice in a way that Ozzie thought was intentional). Sure enough, i nthe top of the 4th, threw behind Ian Kinsler. Throwing behind is not the same as drilling someone, so Ozzie came out and was yelling at Garland on the mound. After the inning, Ozzie layed into garland in the dougout, throwing water bottles. (We couldn't see that from our seats, but it looked bad on TV).
Scot Podesdnik gets a homer, his 3rd of the season.. already surpassing last year's count of zero.
With the win, we are still 6½ games behind Detroit.. which sucks.
Afer the game, the Sox designated backup catcher Chris Widger for assignment... wonder what's up?
Update: The Sox get Sandy Alomar Jr. from the Dodgers for his third stint with the team.
(Boxscore)
« hide the extended part of this entry
posted at 04:25 PM | Link | White Sox | § |
Saturday, July 22, 2006
White Sox 3 - Rangers 1
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Weird day at the park. Weird.
And I'm sure it had nothing to do with Better Than Ezra performing an acoustic set before the game (including "Juicy").
Or that tonight was the first Saturday Fireworks Night since May 6 (Fox kept rescheduling our games for their benefit.. such is the life of a fan of a World Series champion).
Weird vibe. Weird people in the park. Lot's of kids. Lot's of people that don't seem to be belong there... like they weren't fans, they were there to party... certainly not to watch the ballgame... (this must be what a Cubs game is like)
Only highlight? Paul Konerko's solo homerun in the 6th.
We lose our 4th game in a row... while Detroit loses! We could have made up ground!
Oh... and to top it off? It rained during the game. OK, not hard, but it sure was annoying.
(Boxscore) « hide the extended part of this entry
posted at 10:32 PM | Link | White Sox | § |
Tuesday, July 11, 2006
What to go A.L.!Another Amercan League All-Str winner! Thanks, Ozzie! What a way to win - in the top of the 9th!
(Boxscore)
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Top 1ST B:3 S:3 O:1
Ichiro Suzuki strikes out swinging.
Top 1ST B:3 S:3 O:2
Derek Jeter strikes out swinging.
Top 1ST B:2 S:3 O:3
David Ortiz called out on strikes.
--------------------------- END 1ST
Top 2ND B:1 S:2 O:1
Alex Rodriguez grounds out, shortstop Edgar Renteria to first baseman Albert Pujols.
Top 2ND B:1 S:1 O:1
Vladimir Guerrero homers (1) on a fly ball to right field.
Top 2ND B:1 S:0 O:2
Ivan Rodriguez lines out sharply to second baseman Chase Utley.
Top 2ND B:1 S:1 O:3
Vernon Wells flies out to center fielder Carlos Beltran.
--------------------------- MIDDLE 2ND
Bottom 2ND B:3 S:2 O:1
Edgar Renteria grounds out, pitcher Kenny Rogers to first baseman David Ortiz.
Bottom 2ND B:0 S:0 O:1
David Wright homers (1) on a line drive to left field.
Bottom 2ND B:2 S:2 O:1
Chase Utley singles on a soft ground ball to shortstop Derek Jeter.
Bottom 2ND B:1 S:1 O:3
Paul Lo Duca grounds into double play, pitcher Kenny Rogers to shortstop Derek Jeter to first baseman David Ortiz. Chase Utley out at 2nd.
--------------------------- END 2ND
Top 3RD B:0 S:0 O:0
Pitcher Change: Roy Oswalt replaces Brad Penny, batting 9th.
Top 3RD B:0 S:1 O:1
Mark Loretta grounds out to first baseman Albert Pujols.
Top 3RD B:0 S:0 O:1
Offensive Substitution: Pinch hitter Magglio Ordonez replaces Kenny Rogers.
Top 3RD B:3 S:3 O:2
Magglio Ordonez strikes out swinging.
Top 3RD B:3 S:1 O:3
Ichiro Suzuki lines out sharply to right fielder Jason Bay.
--------------------------- END 3RD
Top 4TH B:0 S:0 O:0
Pitcher Change: Brandon Webb replaces Roy Oswalt, batting 1st.
Top 4TH B:0 S:0 O:0
Defensive switch from right field to left field for Jason Bay.
Top 4TH B:0 S:0 O:0
Defensive Substitution: Matt Holliday remains in the game as the right fielder.
Top 4TH B:2 S:3 O:1
Derek Jeter strikes out swinging.
Top 4TH B:2 S:2 O:2
David Ortiz pops out to third baseman David Wright in foul territory.
Top 4TH B:2 S:0 O:3
Alex Rodriguez grounds out, shortstop Edgar Renteria to first baseman Albert Pujols.
--------------------------- MIDDLE 4TH
Bottom 4TH B:1 S:2 O:0
Jason Bay singles on a line drive to center fielder Vernon Wells.
Bottom 4TH B:1 S:0 O:2
Edgar Renteria grounds into double play, second baseman Mark Loretta to shortstop Derek Jeter to first baseman David Ortiz. Jason Bay out at 2nd.
Bottom 4TH B:3 S:1 O:3
David Wright grounds out, shortstop Derek Jeter to first baseman David Ortiz.
--------------------------- END 4TH
Top 5TH B:0 S:0 O:0
Defensive Substitution: Freddy Sanchez replaces shortstop Edgar Renteria, batting 1st.
Top 5TH B:0 S:0 O:0
Pitcher Change: Bronson Arroyo replaces Brandon Webb, batting 5th.
Top 5TH B:1 S:0 O:1
Vladimir Guerrero pops out to shortstop Freddy Sanchez in foul territory.
Top 5TH B:1 S:0 O:2
Ivan Rodriguez flies out to center fielder Carlos Beltran.
Top 5TH B:0 S:2 O:2
Vernon Wells singles on a ground ball to left fielder Jason Bay.
Top 5TH B:1 S:1 O:3
Mark Loretta lines out to shortstop Freddy Sanchez.
--------------------------- END 5TH
Top 6TH B:0 S:0 O:0
Defensive switch from shortstop to 2nd for Freddy Sanchez.
Top 6TH B:0 S:0 O:0
Pitcher Change: Brian Fuentes replaces Bronson Arroyo, batting 5th.
Top 6TH B:0 S:0 O:0
Defensive Substitution: Brian McCann replaces catcher Paul Lo Duca, batting 7th.
Top 6TH B:0 S:0 O:0
Defensive Substitution: David Eckstein replaces shortstop Freddy Sanchez, batting 8th.
Top 6TH B:0 S:3 O:1
Grady Sizemore strikes out swinging.
Top 6TH B:1 S:2 O:2
Ichiro Suzuki grounds out, shortstop David Eckstein to first baseman Albert Pujols.
Top 6TH B:0 S:1 O:3
Derek Jeter grounds out, third baseman David Wright to first baseman Albert Pujols.
--------------------------- MIDDLE 6TH
Bottom 6TH B:0 S:0 O:0
Defensive Substitution: Jermaine Dye replaces right fielder Ichiro Suzuki, batting 1st.
Bottom 6TH B:0 S:0 O:0
Defensive Substitution: Miguel Tejada replaces shortstop Derek Jeter, batting 2nd.
Bottom 6TH B:0 S:0 O:0
Defensive Substitution: Paul Konerko replaces first baseman David Ortiz, batting 3rd.
Bottom 6TH B:0 S:0 O:0
Defensive Substitution: Troy Glaus replaces third baseman Alex Rodriguez, batting 4th.
Bottom 6TH B:0 S:0 O:0
Pitcher Change: Scott Kazmir replaces Barry Zito, batting 8th.
Bottom 6TH B:0 S:0 O:1
Freddy Sanchez grounds out, shortstop Miguel Tejada to first baseman Paul Konerko.
Bottom 6TH B:3 S:2 O:2
Carlos Beltran flies out to left fielder Gary Matthews.
Bottom 6TH B:0 S:1 O:3
Albert Pujols flies out to center fielder Grady Sizemore.
--------------------------- END 6TH
--------------------------- END 7TH
Top 8TH B:0 S:0 O:0
Defensive Substitution: Carlos Lee replaces left fielder Jason Bay, batting 4th.
Top 8TH B:0 S:0 O:0
Defensive Substitution: Miguel Cabrera replaces third baseman David Wright, batting 5th.
Top 8TH B:0 S:0 O:0
Pitcher Change: Tom Gordon replaces Derrick Turnbow, batting 6th.
Top 8TH B:2 S:3 O:1
Joe Mauer strikes out swinging.
Top 8TH B:2 S:1 O:1
Gary Matthews singles on a ground ball to left fielder Carlos Lee.
Top 8TH B:0 S:0 O:1
Offensive Substitution: Pinch hitter Jim Thome replaces Johan Santana.
Top 8TH B:1 S:0 O:2
Jim Thome grounds out, second baseman Freddy Sanchez to first baseman Ryan Howard. Gary Matthews to 2nd.
Top 8TH B:1 S:0 O:3
Grady Sizemore grounds out, second baseman Freddy Sanchez to first baseman Ryan Howard.
--------------------------- END 8TH
Top 9TH B:0 S:0 O:0
Pitcher Change: Trevor Hoffman replaces Tom Gordon, batting 6th.
Top 9TH B:0 S:1 O:1
Jermaine Dye grounds out softly, pitcher Trevor Hoffman to first baseman Ryan Howard.
Top 9TH B:0 S:2 O:2
Miguel Tejada grounds out softly, pitcher Trevor Hoffman to first baseman Ryan Howard.
Top 9TH B:0 S:0 O:2
Paul Konerko singles on a ground ball to left fielder Carlos Lee.
Top 9TH B:0 S:0 O:2
Offensive Substitution: Pinch runner Jose Lopez replaces Paul Konerko.
Top 9TH B:0 S:1 O:2
Troy Glaus hits a ground-rule double (1) on a line drive to left field. Jose Lopez to 3rd.
Top 9TH B:0 S:2 O:2
Michael Young triples (1) on a line drive to center fielder Carlos Beltran. Jose Lopez scores. Troy Glaus scores.
Top 9TH B:0 S:1 O:3
Joe Mauer grounds out sharply, pitcher Trevor Hoffman to first baseman Ryan Howard.
--------------------------- MIDDLE 9TH
Bottom 9TH B:0 S:0 O:0
Defensive Substitution: Jose Lopez remains in the game as the third baseman.
Bottom 9TH B:0 S:0 O:0
Defensive switch from 3rd to 1st for Troy Glaus.
Bottom 9TH B:0 S:0 O:0
Pitcher Change: Mariano Rivera replaces B. J. Ryan, batting 8th.
Bottom 9TH B:1 S:2 O:1
Freddy Sanchez grounds out, third baseman Jose Lopez to first baseman Troy Glaus.
Bottom 9TH B:2 S:2 O:1
Carlos Beltran reaches on fielding error by third baseman Jose Lopez.
Bottom 9TH B:1 S:1 O:2
Ryan Howard grounds out, second baseman Michael Young to first baseman Troy Glaus. Carlos Beltran to 2nd.
Bottom 9TH B:1 S:2 O:3
Carlos Lee pops out to second baseman Michael Young. « hide the extended part of this entry
posted at 10:38 PM | Link | Baseball | § |
Sunday, July 09, 2006
White Sox 6 - Red Sox 5 - 19 INNINGS
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A RECORD for U.S. Cellular Field: LONGEST GAME EVER.
SIX HOURS AND NINETEEN MINUTES. 19 innings. (Also, the longest game the White Sox have played in since 1991 and the longest timed game in the Major Leagues since August 2001)
It started out with the hope of a grand pitcher's duel: Jose Contreras vs Curt Schilling. Both only lasted 6 innings of the marathon leaving with Boston up 3-2.
Jermaine Dye hit a homer with 2-out in the bottom of the 9th, letting the strangeness begin.
We expected the game to be over in 1 or 2 innings. We had no idea what an extended game is really like.
Think about this: the concession stands stop preparing food after the 9th inning. You can get anything that didn't involve cooking: bag of potato chips, bag of peanuts, candy. That's it. It's also the last game before the All-Star break. Since, you don't know how long the game will take, you don't need cooked hot dogs or pizza that will go to waste because you'll have to throw it out after an inning of play. The other place that had food was the nacho stands - you don't cook nachos, you just pour them out of bags.
Beer sales stopped after the 7th. But, non-alcohol drinks were purchasable.
The game goes on...
In the 11th, each team scores 2 runs, and the madness continues... The trading of runs pushes some of the people of the edge. We realized that everybody that was going to leave the game, had left. Everyone that's left are the FANS, and they're staying for the duration.. whatever it is..
Gene Honda invites us to stand for The 14th Inning Stretch, and everybody is laughing their asses off...
Things turn worse... a sign hangs outside a suite on the 3rd base side: "PLEASE SEND FOOD"
In the 16th, we hear from somebody that bought nachos that the stands have run out of bottled water...
We start thinking about The 21st Inning Stretch...
Boston has brought in its 8th pitcher. Our 8th is still in the bullpen, and he's PISSED, because he knows that he's still out there because everyone thinks he'll lose the game. He's trowing his glove around the little dugout area in the bullpen. It's Cliff Politte.
It's the top of the 19th. Brandon McCarthy has pitched 4 innings and he has to go. So... you bring in... Politte. You can hear the audible groans of the crowd. many begin to pack-up...
Cliff gets a strikeout, line-out and fly-out - three up, three down.
Bottom of the 19th:
Joe Crede fouls out on a popup. Alex Cintron singles on a line drive to center. Rob Mackowiak singles on a soft ground ball to third. Scott Podsednik singles on a soft line drive to left...
Tadahito Iguchi singles on a ground ball to left scoring Alex Cintron...
And the madness is over.. after 540 pitches....
(Boxscore)
Top 1ST B:4 S:2 O:0
Kevin Youkilis walks.
Top 1ST B:1 S:2 O:0
With Mark Loretta batting, wild pitch by Jose Contreras, Kevin Youkilis to 2nd.
Top 1ST B:1 S:3 O:1
Mark Loretta strikes out swinging.
Top 1ST B:1 S:2 O:1
David Ortiz singles on a soft line drive to left fielder Scott Podsednik. Kevin Youkilis scores.
Top 1ST B:0 S:2 O:2
Manny Ramirez grounds into a force out, shortstop Juan Uribe to second baseman Tadahito Iguchi. David Ortiz out at 2nd. Manny Ramirez to 1st.
Top 1ST B:0 S:0 O:3
Trot Nixon grounds out sharply, second baseman Tadahito Iguchi to first baseman Paul Konerko.
--------------------------- MIDDLE 1ST
Bottom 1ST B:0 S:1 O:1
Scott Podsednik pops out to shortstop Alex Gonzalez.
Bottom 1ST B:1 S:3 O:2
Tadahito Iguchi strikes out swinging.
Bottom 1ST B:1 S:0 O:3
Jim Thome pops out to third baseman Mike Lowell.
--------------------------- END 1ST
Top 2ND B:2 S:3 O:1
Jason Varitek strikes out swinging.
Top 2ND B:1 S:3 O:2
Mike Lowell strikes out swinging.
Top 2ND B:4 S:1 O:2
Coco Crisp walks.
Top 2ND B:0 S:1 O:2
With Alex Gonzalez batting, Coco Crisp steals (8) 2nd base.
Top 2ND B:2 S:1 O:3
Alex Gonzalez pops out to first baseman Paul Konerko.
--------------------------- MIDDLE 2ND
Bottom 2ND B:2 S:2 O:1
Paul Konerko grounds out, third baseman Mike Lowell to first baseman Kevin Youkilis.
Bottom 2ND B:0 S:0 O:2
Jermaine Dye flies out to right fielder Trot Nixon.
Bottom 2ND B:1 S:0 O:2
A. J. Pierzynski singles on a sharp ground ball to right fielder Trot Nixon.
Bottom 2ND B:2 S:3 O:3
Joe Crede strikes out swinging.
--------------------------- END 2ND
Top 3RD B:1 S:3 O:1
Kevin Youkilis strikes out swinging.
Top 3RD B:3 S:2 O:2
Mark Loretta flies out to center fielder Brian Anderson.
Top 3RD B:4 S:2 O:2
David Ortiz walks.
Top 3RD B:1 S:0 O:3
Manny Ramirez grounds into a force out, third baseman Joe Crede to second baseman Tadahito Iguchi. David Ortiz out at 2nd.
--------------------------- MIDDLE 3RD
Bottom 3RD B:3 S:2 O:1
Juan Uribe grounds out, pitcher Curt Schilling to first baseman Kevin Youkilis.
Bottom 3RD B:1 S:2 O:1
Brian Anderson singles on a ground ball to left fielder Manny Ramirez.
Bottom 3RD B:3 S:3 O:3
Scott Podsednik strikes out swinging and Brian Anderson caught stealing 2nd, catcher Jason Varitek to shortstop Alex Gonzalez.
--------------------------- END 3RD
Top 4TH B:0 S:3 O:1
Trot Nixon strikes out swinging.
Top 4TH B:1 S:2 O:2
Jason Varitek lines out to pitcher Jose Contreras.
Top 4TH B:0 S:1 O:2
Mike Lowell homers (11) on a fly ball to left center field.
Top 4TH B:4 S:1 O:2
Coco Crisp walks.
Top 4TH B:1 S:0 O:2
Alex Gonzalez singles on a sharp line drive to left fielder Scott Podsednik. Coco Crisp to 2nd.
Top 4TH B:1 S:0 O:2
With Kevin Youkilis batting, wild pitch by Jose Contreras, Coco Crisp to 3rd. Alex Gonzalez to 2nd.
Top 4TH B:4 S:1 O:2
Kevin Youkilis walks.
Top 4TH B:0 S:2 O:2
Mark Loretta hit by pitch. Coco Crisp scores. Alex Gonzalez to 3rd. Kevin Youkilis to 2nd.
Top 4TH B:3 S:0 O:3
David Ortiz flies out to right fielder Jermaine Dye.
--------------------------- MIDDLE 4TH
Bottom 4TH B:3 S:1 O:0
Tadahito Iguchi homers (10) on a fly ball to center field.
Bottom 4TH B:1 S:3 O:1
Jim Thome strikes out swinging.
Bottom 4TH B:1 S:1 O:2
Paul Konerko flies out to center fielder Coco Crisp.
Bottom 4TH B:1 S:2 O:3
Jermaine Dye grounds out, third baseman Mike Lowell to first baseman Kevin Youkilis.
--------------------------- END 4TH
Top 5TH B:3 S:2 O:1
Manny Ramirez flies out to center fielder Brian Anderson.
Top 5TH B:2 S:0 O:2
Trot Nixon lines out sharply to second baseman Tadahito Iguchi.
Top 5TH B:0 S:0 O:3
Jason Varitek flies out to center fielder Brian Anderson.
--------------------------- MIDDLE 5TH
Bottom 5TH B:0 S:3 O:1
A. J. Pierzynski strikes out swinging, catcher Jason Varitek to first baseman Kevin Youkilis.
Bottom 5TH B:1 S:2 O:2
Joe Crede flies out to center fielder Coco Crisp.
Bottom 5TH B:1 S:1 O:3
Juan Uribe grounds out softly, second baseman Mark Loretta to first baseman Kevin Youkilis.
--------------------------- END 5TH
Top 6TH B:0 S:0 O:0
Mike Lowell singles on a soft pop up to catcher A. J. Pierzynski.
Top 6TH B:1 S:3 O:1
Coco Crisp called out on strikes.
Top 6TH B:1 S:0 O:2
Alex Gonzalez flies out to center fielder Brian Anderson.
Top 6TH B:1 S:0 O:3
Kevin Youkilis flies out to center fielder Brian Anderson.
--------------------------- MIDDLE 6TH
Bottom 6TH B:0 S:1 O:0
Brian Anderson doubles (9) on a line drive to center fielder Coco Crisp.
Bottom 6TH B:0 S:0 O:1
Scott Podsednik bunt pops out to first baseman Kevin Youkilis in foul territory.
Bottom 6TH B:4 S:1 O:1
Tadahito Iguchi walks.
Bottom 6TH B:0 S:0 O:1
Jim Thome singles on a line drive to center fielder Coco Crisp. Brian Anderson scores. Tadahito Iguchi to 3rd.
Bottom 6TH B:1 S:1 O:2
Paul Konerko flies out to center fielder Coco Crisp.
Bottom 6TH B:2 S:3 O:3
Jermaine Dye strikes out swinging.
--------------------------- END 6TH
Top 7TH B:0 S:0 O:0
Pitcher Change: Neal Cotts replaces Jose Contreras.
Top 7TH B:0 S:1 O:1
Mark Loretta grounds out, third baseman Joe Crede to first baseman Paul Konerko.
Top 7TH B:2 S:3 O:2
David Ortiz strikes out swinging.
Top 7TH B:2 S:2 O:2
Manny Ramirez doubles (16) on a sharp line drive to center fielder Brian Anderson.
Top 7TH B:3 S:3 O:3
Trot Nixon called out on strikes.
--------------------------- MIDDLE 7TH
Bottom 7TH B:0 S:0 O:0
Pitcher Change: Manny Delcarmen replaces Curt Schilling.
Bottom 7TH B:1 S:0 O:1
A. J. Pierzynski lines out to right fielder Trot Nixon.
Bottom 7TH B:0 S:1 O:2
Joe Crede grounds out, third baseman Mike Lowell to first baseman Kevin Youkilis.
Bottom 7TH B:2 S:3 O:3
Juan Uribe strikes out swinging.
--------------------------- END 7TH
Top 8TH B:1 S:3 O:1
Jason Varitek strikes out swinging.
Top 8TH B:2 S:1 O:2
Mike Lowell grounds out, third baseman Joe Crede to first baseman Paul Konerko.
Top 8TH B:0 S:0 O:2
Coco Crisp doubles (7) on a sharp line drive to left fielder Scott Podsednik.
Top 8TH B:0 S:0 O:2
Pitcher Change: David Riske replaces Neal Cotts.
Top 8TH B:1 S:1 O:3
Alex Gonzalez lines out to left fielder Scott Podsednik.
--------------------------- MIDDLE 8TH
Bottom 8TH B:0 S:0 O:1
Brian Anderson lines out to second baseman Mark Loretta.
Bottom 8TH B:0 S:3 O:2
Scott Podsednik strikes out swinging.
Bottom 8TH B:3 S:2 O:3
Tadahito Iguchi grounds out softly, shortstop Alex Gonzalez to first baseman Kevin Youkilis.
--------------------------- END 8TH
Top 9TH B:0 S:0 O:0
Pitcher Change: Bobby Jenks replaces David Riske.
Top 9TH B:4 S:0 O:0
Kevin Youkilis walks.
Top 9TH B:0 S:2 O:1
Mark Loretta flies out to center fielder Brian Anderson.
Top 9TH B:0 S:0 O:3
David Ortiz grounds into double play, third baseman Joe Crede to first baseman Paul Konerko. Kevin Youkilis out at 2nd.
--------------------------- END 9TH
Top 10TH B:0 S:3 O:1
Manny Ramirez called out on strikes.
Top 10TH B:1 S:0 O:2
Trot Nixon grounds out, second baseman Tadahito Iguchi to first baseman Paul Konerko.
Top 10TH B:0 S:1 O:3
Jason Varitek grounds out, second baseman Tadahito Iguchi to first baseman Paul Konerko.
--------------------------- MIDDLE 10TH
Bottom 10TH B:0 S:0 O:0
Offensive Substitution: Pinch hitter Alex Cintron replaces Juan Uribe.
Bottom 10TH B:1 S:1 O:1
Alex Cintron grounds out sharply, second baseman Mark Loretta to first baseman Kevin Youkilis.
Bottom 10TH B:1 S:3 O:2
Brian Anderson called out on strikes.
Bottom 10TH B:1 S:0 O:2
Scott Podsednik singles on a fly ball to center fielder Coco Crisp.
Bottom 10TH B:1 S:1 O:3
Tadahito Iguchi grounds out, third baseman Mike Lowell to first baseman Kevin Youkilis.
--------------------------- END 10TH
Top 11TH B:0 S:0 O:0
Defensive Substitution: Alex Cintron remains in the game as the shortstop.
Top 11TH B:1 S:0 O:0
Mike Lowell singles on a line drive to center fielder Brian Anderson.
Top 11TH B:0 S:0 O:0
Offensive Substitution: Pinch runner Willie Harris replaces Mike Lowell.
Top 11TH B:0 S:0 O:1
Coco Crisp out on a sacrifice bunt, first baseman Paul Konerko to second baseman Tadahito Iguchi. Willie Harris to 2nd.
Top 11TH B:0 S:3 O:2
Alex Gonzalez strikes out swinging. Willie Harris steals (6) 3rd base.
Top 11TH B:4 S:2 O:2
Kevin Youkilis walks.
Top 11TH B:1 S:1 O:2
With Mark Loretta batting, Kevin Youkilis steals (5) 2nd base.
Top 11TH B:1 S:1 O:2
Mark Loretta singles on a line drive to left fielder Scott Podsednik. Willie Harris scores. Kevin Youkilis scores. Mark Loretta to 2nd on the throw.
Top 11TH B:0 S:0 O:2
Pitcher Change: Javier Vazquez replaces Bobby Jenks.
Top 11TH B:4 S:0 O:2
Javier Vazquez intentionally walks David Ortiz.
Top 11TH B:3 S:3 O:3
Manny Ramirez called out on strikes.
--------------------------- MIDDLE 11TH
Bottom 11TH B:0 S:0 O:0
Defensive Substitution: Alex Cora replaces third baseman Mike Lowell, batting 7th.
Bottom 11TH B:0 S:0 O:0
Pitcher Change: Javier Lopez replaces Jonathan Papelbon.
Bottom 11TH B:2 S:1 O:0
Jim Thome doubles (12) on a fly ball to left fielder Manny Ramirez.
Bottom 11TH B:0 S:0 O:0
Pitcher Change: Mike Timlin replaces Javier Lopez.
Bottom 11TH B:0 S:0 O:0
Paul Konerko singles on a line drive to left fielder Manny Ramirez. Jim Thome to 3rd.
Bottom 11TH B:0 S:0 O:0
Offensive Substitution: Pinch runner Ross Gload replaces Paul Konerko.
Bottom 11TH B:1 S:2 O:0
Jermaine Dye doubles (15) on a fly ball to right fielder Trot Nixon. Jim Thome scores. Ross Gload to 3rd.
Bottom 11TH B:4 S:0 O:0
Mike Timlin intentionally walks A. J. Pierzynski.
Bottom 11TH B:1 S:2 O:1
Joe Crede lines out to right fielder Trot Nixon.
Bottom 11TH B:0 S:1 O:2
Alex Cintron grounds into a force out, second baseman Mark Loretta to shortstop Alex Gonzalez. Ross Gload scores. Jermaine Dye to 3rd. A. Pierzynski out at 2nd. Alex Cintron to 1st.
Bottom 11TH B:0 S:0 O:2
Offensive Substitution: Pinch hitter Rob Mackowiak replaces Brian Anderson.
Bottom 11TH B:1 S:1 O:2
With Rob Mackowiak batting, Alex Cintron advances to 2nd on defensive indifference.
Bottom 11TH B:1 S:3 O:3
Rob Mackowiak strikes out swinging.
--------------------------- END 11TH
Top 12TH B:0 S:0 O:0
Defensive Substitution: Ross Gload remains in the game as the first baseman.
Top 12TH B:0 S:0 O:0
Defensive Substitution: Rob Mackowiak remains in the game as the center fielder.
Top 12TH B:1 S:0 O:1
Trot Nixon flies out softly to center fielder Rob Mackowiak.
Top 12TH B:4 S:2 O:1
Jason Varitek walks.
Top 12TH B:1 S:0 O:2
Alex Cora flies out to left fielder Scott Podsednik.
Top 12TH B:2 S:2 O:2
With Coco Crisp batting, wild pitch by Javier Vazquez, Jason Varitek to 2nd.
Top 12TH B:3 S:2 O:3
Coco Crisp flies out to right fielder Jermaine Dye.
--------------------------- MIDDLE 12TH
Bottom 12TH B:0 S:0 O:0
Pitcher Change: Craig Hansen replaces Mike Timlin.
Bottom 12TH B:1 S:1 O:0
Scott Podsednik singles on a soft fly ball to left fielder Manny Ramirez.
Bottom 12TH B:2 S:3 O:1
Tadahito Iguchi strikes out on foul tip.
Bottom 12TH B:2 S:0 O:2
Jim Thome flies out to right fielder Trot Nixon.
Bottom 12TH B:1 S:1 O:2
With Ross Gload batting, Scott Podsednik steals (29) 2nd base.
Bottom 12TH B:3 S:3 O:3
Ross Gload strikes out swinging.
--------------------------- END 12TH
Top 13TH B:3 S:2 O:0
Alex Gonzalez doubles (13) on a fly ball to center fielder Rob Mackowiak.
Top 13TH B:0 S:3 O:1
Kevin Youkilis strikes out swinging.
Top 13TH B:1 S:0 O:1
Mark Loretta hit by pitch.
Top 13TH B:0 S:0 O:1
Pitcher Change: Matt Thornton replaces Javier Vazquez.
Top 13TH B:0 S:0 O:2
David Ortiz grounds out, second baseman Tadahito Iguchi to first baseman Ross Gload. Alex Gonzalez to 3rd. Mark Loretta to 2nd.
Top 13TH B:4 S:0 O:2
Matt Thornton intentionally walks Manny Ramirez.
Top 13TH B:0 S:3 O:3
Trot Nixon strikes out swinging.
--------------------------- MIDDLE 13TH
Bottom 13TH B:0 S:0 O:0
Pitcher Change: Julian Tavarez replaces Craig Hansen.
Bottom 13TH B:2 S:3 O:1
Jermaine Dye strikes out swinging.
Bottom 13TH B:0 S:0 O:2
A. J. Pierzynski grounds out softly, pitcher Julian Tavarez to first baseman Kevin Youkilis.
Bottom 13TH B:3 S:1 O:3
Joe Crede grounds out, shortstop Alex Gonzalez to first baseman Kevin Youkilis.
--------------------------- END 13TH
Top 14TH B:1 S:3 O:1
Jason Varitek strikes out swinging.
Top 14TH B:0 S:3 O:2
Alex Cora strikes out swinging.
Top 14TH B:0 S:0 O:2
Coco Crisp doubles (8) on a line drive to right fielder Jermaine Dye.
Top 14TH B:0 S:0 O:2
Pitcher Change: Brandon McCarthy replaces Matt Thornton.
Top 14TH B:1 S:3 O:3
Alex Gonzalez strikes out swinging.
--------------------------- END 14TH
Top 15TH B:2 S:1 O:1
Kevin Youkilis flies out to center fielder Rob Mackowiak.
Top 15TH B:0 S:2 O:2
Mark Loretta grounds out, pitcher Brandon McCarthy to first baseman Ross Gload.
Top 15TH B:1 S:1 O:3
David Ortiz lines out to right fielder Jermaine Dye.
--------------------------- MIDDLE 15TH
Bottom 15TH B:4 S:1 O:0
Tadahito Iguchi walks.
Bottom 15TH B:2 S:1 O:1
Jim Thome grounds into a force out, first baseman Kevin Youkilis to third baseman Alex Cora. Tadahito Iguchi out at 2nd. Jim Thome to 1st.
Bottom 15TH B:0 S:0 O:1
Offensive Substitution: Pinch runner Pablo Ozuna replaces Jim Thome.
Bottom 15TH B:0 S:1 O:3
Ross Gload grounds into double play, second baseman Mark Loretta to shortstop Alex Gonzalez to first baseman Kevin Youkilis. Pablo Ozuna out at 2nd.
--------------------------- END 15TH
Top 16TH B:0 S:0 O:0
Defensive switch from designated hitter to designated hitter for Pablo Ozuna.
Top 16TH B:1 S:0 O:1
Manny Ramirez flies out to center fielder Rob Mackowiak.
Top 16TH B:2 S:0 O:2
Trot Nixon grounds out, third baseman Joe Crede to first baseman Ross Gload.
Top 16TH B:0 S:0 O:3
Jason Varitek grounds out, second baseman Tadahito Iguchi to first baseman Ross Gload.
--------------------------- MIDDLE 16TH
Bottom 16TH B:2 S:3 O:1
Jermaine Dye strikes out swinging.
Bottom 16TH B:1 S:0 O:2
A. J. Pierzynski flies out to center fielder Coco Crisp.
Bottom 16TH B:2 S:0 O:2
Joe Crede doubles (18) on a line drive to right fielder Trot Nixon.
Bottom 16TH B:1 S:0 O:3
Alex Cintron grounds out to first baseman Kevin Youkilis.
--------------------------- END 16TH
Top 17TH B:1 S:2 O:1
Alex Cora pops out to shortstop Alex Cintron.
Top 17TH B:2 S:1 O:2
Coco Crisp pops out to shortstop Alex Cintron.
Top 17TH B:4 S:2 O:2
Alex Gonzalez walks.
Top 17TH B:2 S:2 O:3
Kevin Youkilis lines out to right fielder Jermaine Dye.
--------------------------- MIDDLE 17TH
Bottom 17TH B:0 S:0 O:0
Pitcher Change: Rudy Seanez replaces Julian Tavarez.
Bottom 17TH B:0 S:1 O:0
Rob Mackowiak singles on a ground ball to right fielder Trot Nixon.
Bottom 17TH B:4 S:0 O:0
Scott Podsednik walks. Rob Mackowiak to 2nd.
Bottom 17TH B:2 S:2 O:1
Tadahito Iguchi lines out to pitcher Rudy Seanez.
Bottom 17TH B:0 S:1 O:3
Pablo Ozuna grounds into double play, third baseman Alex Cora to first baseman Kevin Youkilis. Rob Mackowiak out at 3rd.
--------------------------- END 17TH
Top 18TH B:1 S:2 O:0
Mark Loretta singles on a ground ball to left fielder Scott Podsednik.
Top 18TH B:2 S:0 O:2
David Ortiz grounds into double play, pitcher Brandon McCarthy to third baseman Joe Crede to first baseman Ross Gload. Mark Loretta out at 2nd.
Top 18TH B:3 S:2 O:3
Manny Ramirez lines out to left fielder Scott Podsednik.
--------------------------- MIDDLE 18TH
Bottom 18TH B:1 S:2 O:1
Ross Gload grounds out to first baseman Kevin Youkilis.
Bottom 18TH B:0 S:1 O:2
Jermaine Dye flies out to right fielder Trot Nixon in foul territory.
Bottom 18TH B:1 S:3 O:3
A. J. Pierzynski called out on strikes.
--------------------------- END 18TH
Top 19TH B:0 S:0 O:0
Pitcher Change: Cliff Politte replaces Brandon McCarthy.
Top 19TH B:2 S:3 O:1
Trot Nixon strikes out swinging.
Top 19TH B:1 S:2 O:2
Jason Varitek lines out to right fielder Jermaine Dye.
Top 19TH B:0 S:0 O:3
Alex Cora flies out to right fielder Jermaine Dye.
--------------------------- MIDDLE 19TH
Bottom 19TH B:1 S:1 O:1
Joe Crede pops out to first baseman Kevin Youkilis in foul territory.
Bottom 19TH B:0 S:1 O:1
Alex Cintron singles on a line drive to center fielder Coco Crisp.
Bottom 19TH B:1 S:1 O:1
Rob Mackowiak singles on a soft ground ball to third baseman Alex Cora. Alex Cintron to 2nd.
Bottom 19TH B:2 S:0 O:1
Scott Podsednik singles on a soft line drive to left fielder Manny Ramirez. Alex Cintron to 3rd. Rob Mackowiak to 2nd.
Bottom 19TH B:2 S:2 O:1
Tadahito Iguchi singles on a ground ball to left fielder Manny Ramirez. Alex Cintron scores. Rob Mackowiak to 3rd. Scott Podsednik to 2nd. « hide the extended part of this entry
posted at 09:34 PM | Link | White Sox | § |
Saturday, July 08, 2006
White Sox 6 - Red Sox 9
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Can't talk much about the game - the sun and heat got to me. I was just too uncomfortable.. and I don't deal with it too well. Walking up the aisle to get to the main concourse, by the time I'm at the top, I'm getting tunnel vision, a little tingly... yeah, the heat is BAD. probably didn't hydrate very well.
We had two girls next to us that flew in from Boston for today's game. This series has been a big series for Boston fans to show up here and root for their team. LOTS of them.
Every single one of them are nice people, following their team...
Rather have 10 of these people in seats around me for this series than have ONE Cub fan for the Cubs series. Totally different type of fans. Bostonians are SOOooo much classier..
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posted at 04:32 PM | Link | White Sox | § |
Sunday, June 25, 2006
White Sox 10 - Astros 9 - 13 Innings
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Well, the weather is certainly NOT as nice as yesterday...
And, oh God, the game wasn't a good as yesterday (for 7 innings)...
And, oh God why, we had MORE idiots sitting near us. This time it's 4 long-hairs across the aisle from us. LOUD and DRUNK... I got beer spilled on me as the guy on the aisle let his buddies out to get more beers and threw his beer at one of them.
They weren't swearing like the guys yesterday - they're just loud and obnoxious, not paying attention to the game... like yesterday... the guy on the aisle, who has a stack of 6 empty beer cups in his hand stands up and proclaims "And I'm driving these guys home!". They ogle and heckle the women that walk and down the aisles, but not as bad as the guys were yesterday, who were falling out of their seats looking at the girl's asses as they walked up the aisle.
Great.
So, I wander over to Customer Service - only tonight they take the info but didn't act on it.
The game? We're losing 9-2 after the 7th. Javier Vazquez gave up all 9, all earned. Oh, and it started to rain. Drunk guys are heckling the people leaving. In the middle of the 8th... and after two days of crappy fans and now rain along with getting our asses handed to us by Houston... Carol and I just looked at each other and...we left.
As we walked to the car in Lot A, we heard the crowd.. who had been cranked-up since we left. We looked across the street and saw the fireworks being launched from the scaffolding in the player's lot. Iguchi had hit a 3 run homer... and we ran to the car to put the radio on... We listened to the game all the way home... Iguchi hits a grand slam and all of a sudden, the score is tied. TIED. We came back from a 7-run deficit and in two innings TIE the game.
We got home in no time... and watched the rest of the game in HD from ESPN... and it took 13 innings for McCarthy to give up a triple and a single... and we didn't come back.
What a series! Unbelievable playing going on!
(Boxscore)
« hide the extended part of this entry
posted at 10:58 PM | Link | White Sox | § |
Saturday, June 24, 2006
White Sox 6 - Astros 5 - 10 Innings
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What a GORGEOUS DAY today. Yes THIS is the best weather we've had for a game this year.
And what a game it was...
First off - this Interleague game was being billed as a rematch for the World Series. We had beaten Houston 4-0 in the series becoming World Champions and here we are again.
Jon Garland had another bad outing and we were losing 5-1 in the 7th. Then in the bottom of the 7th:
Alex Cintron strikes out swinging. Jim Thome walks. Paul Konerko singles on a line drive to left field (Jim Thome to 2nd). Jermaine Dye singles on a soft fly ball to right field (Jim Thome to 3rd, Paul Konerko to 2nd).
And here's where a strange coincidence happens: Chad Qualls comes in replacing starter Taylor Buchholz.
Chad Qualls.
Flashback to last October...
World series game 2... Astros are winning 4-2... Bottom of the 7th... bases loaded... Chad Qualls is brought in to relieve Dan Wheeler...
One pitch is thrown to Paul Konerko - Grand Slam.
Flash forward to today:
One pitch is thrown to Joe Crede - Grand Slam.
We win the game in the bottom of the 10th and it's the best comeback finish I've seen in a while.
Unfortunately for Carol and I, it was one of the worst games we have attended, because of two ass***** the were sitting in front of us, drinking beer they smuggled in (in cans), drinking tequila (was wondering why they were SO anxious to see the margarita vendor) heckled/whistled/drooled over every single young female walking up or down the aisle, "prank calling" vendors (yell for the vendor when their back is turned and pretend they didn't call), swearing, (with a row of kids behind me where the oldest looked 6)... I couldn't take it anymore and went to Customer Service and had security called. They issued a warning to them, took away empty beer cans. All I heard was bitching between the two of them when I got back to my seat, with the asswipes talking loud enough in conversation to make sure I heard, branding me as a "Narc" instead of talking to their face, etc. they get up and leave... only to have the audacity to come back a few innings later and start-up again with the talking. Louder than before. And now, they start talking about fat chicks referring to Carol - even to the point of calling "Soooooey" and that was it... I leaned into them and got in their face. They tried to have a comeback, but just got up and left, never to return.
The security detail was great - I had talked to them at the top of the stairs while they were still dealing with the guys after I had them called (security was already there by the time I got back to my section after I went to customer service). Nice guys. Found out later from one of them that the had their identification and that a letter would go to the season ticketholder of those seats telling them not to sell tickets to to them for any future games.
It still got me pissed and angry. And, even though it was a great game, it was IMPOSSIBLE to get past the issues and enjoy the game.
(Boxscore) « hide the extended part of this entry
posted at 04:51 PM | Link | White Sox | § |
Saturday, June 17, 2006
Annual Yard SaleGet up early (for a Saturday) and hit the road for the South Side...
It's that time again... time for the White Sox Annual Yard Sale at the park (U.S. Cellular Field).
The line was long when we got there, but it was awfully spread out, with lots of people bringing chairs to sit in while they wait.
The best thing about the event is that all the proceeds go to White Sox Charities.
With that in mind, we went looking for clothing.. we had bought jackets here in the past (yes, authentic, player-worn jackets), and they didn't have ANY this year! They really brought out the odd stuff... banners used around the city for "Rally Monday", the rally downtown before the World Series, empty bottles of Champagne from each of the locker room celebrations during the playoffs ($60-$100), full sheet World Series Tickets (un-printed with seat info). I wanted some bunting that was displayed at the park (MLB authenticated), but that was $50 each and the bunting was small.
They had the regular selection of things - used hats, bats, helmets, an AWFUL lot of catcher's gear this year compared to last, lots of equipment bags, helmet bags... and of course what everybody goes after - jerseys. The real deal.
We weren't even close to being the first one's in line, and back in January, at Sox Fest, they always set up a "Garage Sale" room that people must have rifled through, because the jersey selection - though large - didn't have a lot of jerseys by the somewhat major players, let alone the major players. If you wanted a jersey of a pitcher that was barely in the majors for a few weeks, there were a ton of them (including ones for the World Series complete with World Series patch on the sleeve). There were prior years players that they haven't got rid of yet. Lot's of BP windshirts and "tops" (wouldn't call them jerseys).
The surprising pieces to me were at the extreme left of the left rack in the row of racks.
Here were the jerseys of Major players now gone. Jerseys you would have NEVER seen in any rack in any year. These were put aside as special and if you were lucky, you could ask to get one. The one that caught my eye? FRANK THOMAS. NEVER would have been in the rack. Now that he's gone, he's there. Now granted, it was REALLY expensive (I think $1,000), but it was still in the rack. I knew that I had hit the right part in the rack... they guys that are gone... tons of Carl Everett jerseys... Shingo Takatsu... guys who were good and made a difference. But the one guy I thought that made a difference and we hated to see him go, was the one I was after. I snatched it up and walked away from the racks quickly. The Jersey? Aaron Rowand.
That's all we bought this year... nothing else caught our eye... the great thing is that THIS year at checkout, you got a form to fill out stating that the items you bought were to benefit a charity, thus ding..ding..ding..ding..ding Tax Writeoff.
I just love going to the park for special events, like this one, when there isn't a game. It's just feels special. There was another event going on that you had to pay to participate - playing catch in the outfield. It's reall typical for Dads to bring their youngsters, with their mitt and balls, and you're allowed onto the field for an hour to play catch. the day before Father's Day. How cool is that?
posted at 01:16 PM | Link | White Sox | § |
Sunday, June 11, 2006
White Sox 8 - Indians 10
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Weather: sucked
People sitting around us: sucked
Freddie Garcia: sucked
Yes, we sucked on National Television (the game was moved to 7pm to be ESPN's Sunday Night game).
Freddie Garcia was terrible. 5 2/3 innings, 9 hits, 8 earned runs, 4 walks, 3 homeruns.
The groans and booing of the crowd was spectacular. UNTIL...
Bottom of the 9th. We're losing 10-2. The park had emptied out, inning by inning, until a handful of people are left in our section. I said yesterday that I hadn't felt this excited at a game for a while. Forget it - this ninth inning was unbelievable, and yet I felt myself believing! In a nut shell - 6 runs in the 9th including a 3-run homer by Brian Anderson, but we didn't make it as Pablo Ozuna - the potential tying run - flies out.
Wow. Excitement. Drama. Desperation. The boys didn't give up. they just didn't make it.
(Boxscore) « hide the extended part of this entry
posted at 10:51 PM | Link | White Sox | § |
Saturday, June 10, 2006
White Sox 4 - Indians 3 - 11 Innings
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I feel that this year we hit the White Sox Weather Curse. This happened a few years ago - if the White Sox were in town for the weekend, the weather for said weekend is going to suck.
Welcome to the White Sox Weather Curse.
It rained for about 10 hours over night, and the skies were still dark, cold, and dreary by the time we hit the road for the early-start game (Fox game - 12:15pm start). The giveaway promotion was beach towels (Sponsored by Hawaiian Tropic and Walgreen's). The customer service people wore leis. They must have had some big plans for Beach Day. We went to the Stadium club to avoid the weather. But, by the time we got upstairs, you could see blue skies in the distance. We wound up taking our seats and watching the game downstairs (AFTER having lunch in the Stadium Club bar).
The team struggled through the game, down 1-0 since the first. They go up 2-0 in the 6th. We get on the board in the 6th, scoring on a double play. We tie the game in the 8th, and now we go into extra innings. Top of the 11th, Cleveland takes the lead on a homer by Victor Martinez. Well, you get this feeling that that's it - we're not coming back.
Wrong.
It's all solid hits, moving guys around, tyeing the game, and eventually, scoring the winning run.
I haven't felt this great at a game in a long time - cheering on the team, going nuts with each hit. It didn't matter that the weather sucked.
It's supposed to get better tomorrow.
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posted at 04:47 PM | Link | White Sox | § |
Sunday, June 04, 2006
White Sox 2 - Rangers 10
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Wow! This must be THE BEST day that we had for a baseball game this year! Gorgeous! Sunny - 70's, light breeze.... wonderful!!
The game sucked.
We're in such a crappy slump, and now watching these idiots out in the field... I don't even want to talk about the game...
(Boxscore) « hide the extended part of this entry
posted at 09:13 PM | Link | White Sox | § |
Sunday, May 21, 2006
White Sox 4 - Cubs 7
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Well... at least we took the series... The weather was crap... low 50's in the sun and a cold breeze, so when the shade moved over the section, it was hell...
We played poorly today, and I blame the defense. Jose Contreras came off the DL and pitched, but he gave up 4 runs (2 were inherited by Neal Cotts, who got tagged with a Blown Save and the Loss), and things just imploded. We had two errors and the key play should have been scored as the 3rd error but wasn't when Uribe threw to Konerko to end a double play in the 8th and threw too low, skipping past Paulie. We would have been out of the inning and on our way to a sweep. And all I wanted to see is for our boys to get into Carlos Zambrano's head and mess with him, and they sort of did, thanks to A.J. (again - talk about a lightning rod...)
The team wore 1906 "throw back" uniforms - the year of the White Sox - Cubs World Series. I think, if I remember correctly, "throw back" uniforms are bad luck for this team...
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posted at 04:24 PM | Link | White Sox | § |
Saturday, May 20, 2006
White Sox 7 - Cubs 0
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Goegeous day for baseball.
Gorgeous day for a fight, as well.
Bottom of the 2nd, no score, 1 out, bases loaded. Brian Anderson hits into a fly-out in Left Field. A.J. Piersinski, on third base, tags up and rnd home. Cubs catcher Michael Barret blocks the plate - without having the ball - and A.J. bowls him over. They both go flying. A.J. rolls over, slaps the plate and gets up. Now, here where it get's odd. Barret gets up. A.J. says he going after his helmet that's laying behind the plate and sort of turn his back to Barret as he passes. Barret bear-hugs him, says "I didn't have the ball, bitch, hauls off and punches A.J. in the chin.
Benches cleared. Bullpens cleared. Anderson after running to first, is now by the plate, taking out John Mabry, the Cubs' first baseman. Bodies everywhere. Barret, Anderson, Mabry and - for some reason A.J. - are all ejected.
Game back on - Rich Hill walks te bases loaded. Tadahito Iguchi - Grand Slam.
We now have 5 runs on 2 hits.
After all of these years, we finally have a fight between these two teams.
And - according to the analysts, it's all Barret's fault. We're waiting for fines/suspensions from the league.
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posted at 03:53 PM | Link | White Sox | § |
Sunday, May 07, 2006
White Sox 3 - Royals 2
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OK, I think we've figured out the parking situation for us newbie Red Coupon people. It seems like the preferable lot is Lot A which is where the Bus Parking is, which is the advantage. After the game, instead of going out the way you came in, you use the Bus Entrance/Exit in the "front" of the lot and you get dumped out onto one-way south Wentworth, before 35th Street - perfect for making a left onto 35th to go over the bridge and get right on the Dan Ryan.
The weather was about the same as last night - of course we were sitting in the direct sun until about 2:10. The temperature at game time was 64°, much better than last night. It was also the sixth sell-out of the season (38,870). We're still not getting used to all of these people around us. There used to be a time where we could "stretch out" a bit during a game. Now, it's shoulder to shoulder, every row filled. No room to stretch your legs, put your arm on the seat next to you. Ah, those were the days... The Price of Success....
Mark Buehrle threw way too many pitches. He threw 22 in the first, and was having trouble with location, with everything staying "up". (He wound up going through 6 innings, throwing 114 pitches (71 strikes) with 4 strikeouts, but 2 runs on 7 hits.
Joe Crede was involved in two odd plays: 1) In the forth, he hits a drive deep to left-center. The centerfielder (Kerry Robinson) totally misplays the ball and jumps at the wall. The second base umpire sees the ball go over the wall, and calls a home run (the fireworks guy, quick on the trigger, sets-off the scoreboard fireworks). I just happen to be on the center field deck, below the Fan Deck. The guy standing next to me says it's not a homerun. Sure enough, what had happened, is that the ball actually hit the warning track and bounced over the wall. Nobody saw the ball hit the track, everybody was watching Robinson hit the wall and the ball going over. After a long umpire discussion, they called Crede back out of the dugout to take his place on Second, because they changed their call to a Ground Rule Double (the correct call). 2) It's the bottom of the 8th, the game is tied 2-2. Jim Thome is on first (after a flyball to center was dropped in a diving attempt by Kerry Robinson). Paul Konerko is intentionally walked to get to Crede. Crede waited for his pitch and blooped a single to left, scoring Thome as the go-ahead run that was the game-winning run.
Our record now goes to 22-9, best record in all of baseball, first in the AL West and 2½ games in front of the Detroit Tigers (who have tailed us must of this young season).
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posted at 04:51 PM | Link | White Sox | § |
Saturday, May 06, 2006
White Sox 9 - Royals 2
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Another crappy weather night - it was 52º at gametime, windy, and it just went down from there. A bit uncomfortable.
What a game, though. Javier Vazquez had No-Hitter through 5. In his last start, he no-hit the Royals through 7.
Jim Thome had another homerun, his 13th. I love being at the game to watch the ball fly. You don't get a sense of the speed on TV. They get out in a hurry, hardly without an arc to its flight.
The 7-8-9 spots of the order need some individual hitting instruction: Ross Gload - .167 (OK, what he really needs is playing time - this is with 18 at bats), Juan Uribe - 161, Brian Anderson - .160 (even though Anderson was 2-for-4 with his 3rd homerun).
Another "sellout" - 38,593 (though I don't know what a sellout really is at the park anymore. I keep hearing the word "sellout" and the attendance would vary by 100-200. And of course, that's paid. I wish they would go back to the days of "turnstile".
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posted at 10:49 PM | Link | White Sox | § |
Sunday, April 23, 2006
White Sox 7 - Twins 3
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OK, yeah, great game. We sweep the series from the Twins. Nancy Faust is back. The weather is great. Everything's right with the world.
Let's start at the top.
Carol and I are absolutely pissed-off at today's promotional item. It was listed as a Miniature stadium. What it was was a cardboard display stand from the Chicago Sun-Times. A poor cardboard replica of U.S. Cellular Field, that has spots to collect miniature baseballs that have pictures of the players on them. Collect? Why, yes - you have to purchase a Sun-Times and each day they have a coupon that you use to go to White Hen or some other store and pay $2.99 for the player/ball of the day. Since when does the team foist a "promotion" where you have to pay money - a lot by the time you get all the balls - to promote a newspaper? Normally, the promotion is a giveaway, and not something you have to pay for to enjoy. When I heard "Miniature Ballpark" I thought it was like a cheap version of the miniature sculpted ballparks that are collectibles. But cardboard? that is a poor replica and purchase stuff to put in it? This is crazy. Carol & I decide to "boycott" and not accept the promotional item at the gate.
Traffic was fine and we got there in good time.
The sun is out, and we're wearing our sunglasses. We go from sunlight into the darkness of the gate area. We go into Gate 5, and I'm first through the turnstile. I say "no thanks" when offered the "miniature ballpark" and the customer service rep thinks I'm nuts. I turnaround and see Carol go through the turnstile.
In the "dark" she turns and trips over two stacked boxes of cardboard promotions, and hits the concrete ground hard on her right knee.
Now - I hadn't mentioned this earlier, but when Carol was cleaning the "Second Bedroom" earlier this week, she tripped over some cables and - you guessed it - hit the floor hard with her right knee. It's hurt her all week. The bruises had just popped-up over the leg, from knee down to the side of her foot.
So, here she is on the ground behind the turnstiles of Gate 5 after injuring the same knee. She stayed there for a while. We finally heard that First Aid was called. She felt the need to get up and move and un-block the turnstile so people can get through. A customer service rep says there a bench right around the corner that she can sit at. What we find out is that it's a series of picnic tables more than 200 feet away. We hobble over there and Caro sits down. Another customer service rep comes over to admonish us "You know you weren't supposed to move, you were supposed to stay there". We let her know 1) don't yell at us, and 2) another rep told us to come out here to relax. A minute or so later a guy in white trots up from the Medical Staff, followed by a golf cart with two other guys. One guy asks me for her information, the other talks to Carol about the fall and her pain.
Carol decide to go to First Aid to get ice. She decides to go by herself (admittedly, there's no room in the golf cart for me) so she takes her ticket and gives my all her stuff. She takes off in the cart, I go up the escalator and go to our seats. She eventually shows up at the end of the first inning. All she had was ice on the knew - no Advil or Tylenol, and not feeling like she was really taken care of by the medical staff.
She's going to have to get this looked at tomorrow.
Nice way to try and watch a game when people have been actually showing up and sitting around us! We're not used to this and we've been able to spread out a little and relax. Now, when Carol need to stretch out a bit, she can't.
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posted at 09:39 PM | Link | White Sox | § |
Saturday, April 22, 2006
White Sox 9 - Twins 2
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What a great day for our first night game! It was a little on the cool side (low 60's) and a slight breeze, but it felt great.
Traffic was horrendous - there was an accident on the Kennedy that blocked the right 3 lanes but apparently the traffic people didn't tell us what was going on, so I stayed on the Kennedy, thinking it would eventually free-up. Well it did when we passed the accident site at Kimbal - and didn't find a trace of this alleged accident. We flew the rest of the way to the park.
Not only is this our first night game, but this is our first game that started after 3:05. The significance of that? That would mean that this is our first game without organist Nancy Faust. It was weird. Before the game the Stadium crew just played more music, almost right from the JACK FM playlist. But there was these silent, almost awkward gaps when the visiting team was at bat. There was no music where there used to be, and that made me miss Nancy. I didn't believe how much she has become part of the experience of the game at U.S. Cellular Field... they played a recording of her for the 7th Inning Stretch, and no one seemed to notice... except for that empty booth behind the plate.
Another great game, another great win (we need to store those up in case we need them like last year). I almost feel that I don't want to talk about the game itself because everyone did well, You could always lookup the Boxscore.
The fireworks after the game were... the fireworks after the game. Nothing new. Tonight, they used music that was played all last season for things on the scoreboard video or just stuff heard around the park (like "Go Go White Sox", etc).
Getting out of the parking lot was a nightmare. the Dan Ryan was terrible, so we took a scenic route through downtown and caught-up with the Kennedy at Ontario.
Nice night.
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posted at 11:34 PM | Link | White Sox | § |
Thursday, April 20, 2006
White Sox Ticket SalesHad to write something here for the White Sox fans out there...
... as of yesterday, the Sox have now passed last year's season total for tickets sold.
April 19. Not bad for advance sales. Hopefully we can live up to expectations...
posted at 12:40 PM | Link | White Sox | § |
Sunday, April 16, 2006
White Sox 6 - Blue Jays 4
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Wow. As gorgeous as it was yesterday was as lousy as it was today.
We planned to spend the game in the Stadium Club because it was supposed to rain today.
And rain it did.
The game started on time. We had a good first inning - Scott Podsednik had a triple to the right field corner (it's cool when you're high above the right field corner in the Stadium Club and you see that ball coming toward you, hoping it would - as Hawk would say - "stretch" and make it over the wall). Jermaine Dye had a homer later in the inning. Jim Thome had a homer later in the 2nd (damn, he really DOES hit those balls a mile!) Freddie Garcia did much better job, even in the rain.
Yes it rained. Hard. Oh, God, hard. The first delay was in the top of the third and was 42 minutes long.
Carol and I had to get going to pickup my Mom and drive to Orland Park to my cousin Jane's for our annual family Easter get-together, so we left about 10-to-3, so we didn't see the rest of the game. We were winning and you can tell in the 5th that the umpires were stretching things quite a bit to try to get a regulation game. Apparently, though we couldn't see it because we were in the car, the field actually became unplayable. Freddie had given up 4 runs and 4 walks on 45 pitches in the top of the 5th. Thank God we had the lead.
During the game - during the first delay - I took a trip downstairs and bought another ticket for the authentic World Series Ring raffle. Found out that the winners of the raffle will get their rings in an on-field ceremony. Way cool. Could you imagine? Getting a Championship World Series ring, complete with your name engraved on it, just like a member of the team in an on-field ceremony, but as a fan?
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posted at 04:46 PM | Link | White Sox | § |
Saturday, April 15, 2006
Wolves 6 - Aeros 5
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So, we took a leisurely drive from the Sox game to the north suburbs to go to the final Chicago Wolves game of the season. (We had a lot of time to kill, even when stopping for dinner and shopping at Office Depot.)
Other than being the last game, it was also a special night - the retirement of Steve Maltais' number to the rafters. Malts played for the Wolves for the first 11 years of their franchise life (the only player to do so), so he's been a cornerstone of the team over the years. He was Captain 10 times. They had the old IHL Turner Cup on display (we won it twice during Steve's tenure) and the AHL Calder Cup (only won that one once, but think about this - 3 Championship Cup's in the franchise's first 8 years!) Before the game during warm-up, the Wolves players wore one-of-a kind No. 11 jerseys that were eventually be signed by Maltais and the player who wore it and were raffled-off.
The game was really good, like the players thought it actually meant something, which it didn't.
We were winning 5-0 in the 2nd, when at 16:29 there was an altercation. No, who are we kidding, we're talking fight - an all out, fists-flying-and-no-stopping-even-when-the-guy-falls-to-the-ice pummeling, all courtesy of Francis Lessard, a fight we haven't seen out of Frankie in years. The kind where Frankie get 2 minutes for Instigating, 5 minutes for Fighting, 10 minutes for Misconduct - Instigating and a Game misconduct - Third man in (56(d)) and another Game misconduct - Aggressor (56(a)). What a way to end the season.
From here, things deteriorated, where Houston got 2 goals in the second, then scores again in the third before we wake up and score one (shorthanded) and Houston comes back with another two and the Wolves barely win their final game of the season.
Quietly, and obviously when you saw the end of it, another retirement happened tonight. Long-time man-behind-the-wolf Jim Santee skated his last "Black Betty" as the mascot Skates during the Second Intermission.
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posted at 10:47 PM | Link | Wolves | § |
White Sox 4 - Blue Jays 2
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What a wonderful, gorgeous day for a ballgame. I've been looking for this kind of a day for a long time.
It started off pretty rough, though. The Blue Jays have only 2 guys in their lineup batting under .300. 8 pitches from Mark Buehrle in the first, and we're losing 2-0. Fortunately, Jim Thome walked and Paul Konerko hit a 2-run homer and we tied it 2-2 in the bottom of the first, and then it made everything all square and we had a ballgame again. (Thome has reached base and scored in each of the 11 games this season.) It was Paulie again in the 5th with another 2-run home run and got us the lead for good. Buehrle pitched 8 innings and retired the last 8. Bobby Jenks pitched the 9th and he earned a good save and didn't really screw up (except for a single - big deal).
The American League Championship Trophy and THE World Series Trophy are now in the window of the gift shop behind Home Plate - you can't get near the place because of all of the people trying to take pictures of the themselves with the trophy. Too bad it's behind glass that's reflecting the field or reflecting the flash of the cameras, because I didn't see a single picture that looked good.
Another big deal at the park is the raffle tickets. No the Sox Split Charity Raffle.
These are for a World Series Ring. Your own real, honest to goodness authentic World Series Players' Ring. Engraved with your name on it, even, just like everyone else. The Sox are raffling-off 3 of them (100,000 tickets at $20 each - proceeds go to White Sox Charities).
How cool would it be to have your own World Series Championship Ring for being a fan?
I guess the only other "odd" thing at the park was that guy on the outfield concourse in a speedo...
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posted at 04:43 PM | Link | White Sox | § |
Tuesday, April 11, 2006
No WolvesWas just watching the game on Comcast Cable.
The Wolves have been eliminated from playoff contention by their 5-4 loss in overtime.
I Believe this is the first time in franchise history that the Wolves didn't make the playoffs.
Great. I think I feel a shakeup coming on...
posted at 09:48 PM | Link | Wolves | § |
Saturday, April 08, 2006
Wolves 1 - Stars 4
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Hard to believe that the Wolves have been on a tear, winning their last 9 games in a row, struggling to make the last playoff spot.
Hard to believe...
...because they sucked tonight. You can tell they're jelling as a team, late in the season, but I think I can sum up their problems tonight in one word: passing. It was all off - no one could hit anyone wit ha pass, it was always errant... or stupid (stupidly passed to an opponent, mostly)
Hard to believe we out-shot them 36-21 and only come up with 1 goal (which was setup soooo nicely)
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posted at 10:16 PM | Link | Wolves | § |
Tuesday, April 04, 2006
White Sox 2 - Indians 8
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What a wonderful day.
What a crappy game.
Carol left the house at 9am and got to the park at 5 to 10, before the parking lots opened. We weren't the only ones. I've never seen lines so long before the gates opened to the park, even during the World Series - All because people wanted a Replica Championship Ring, given out to the first 20,000 fans. We must have been - at most - 100th in line to get into the Stadium Club entrance. The ran out of Rings right after us and a near riot almost started.
I can't tell you how comfortable it felt to walk back into the park again. And the park looked great. Even though our section of seats are still the old blue seats (they're that way from the dugouts to the outfield), seeing the rest of the park in dark green seats really makes the park look great.
Before the game, members of the Front Office, dressed in tuxedos (with tails) and gloves, carried onto the field the Championship Rings on silver platters. One by one, coaches, then players, were called to the center of the field to receive their rings from Commissioner Bud Selig, Owner Jerry Reinsdorf and General Manager Kenny Williams. Guys that are now playing for other teams flew in, just to receive their rings. the most memorable - Aaron Rowand. He got a huge ovation from the fans, who let him know he's missed. If anyone on that field had tears in their eyes, it was him - not to mention tears in the stands when he took the field.
The whole ceremony was so special to watch and to be there to be part of. Almost made up for not getting tickets to opening Night. Almost.
Marty Casey and the Lovehammers, fresh from touring with INXS, got a chance to play one song before the game started. Guess which one it was? Yep, "Trees".
We found a brand new food being sold at the park - it's only from a stand behind the plate - freshly made caramel corn and cheese corn (complete with mixes of both). WONDERFUL!
The game itself was terrible. Sure, Jim Thome hit another home run, but Freddie Garcia had nothing on his pitches and got rocked. He looked terrible. Our defense was poor and - at times - felt Keystone Cop-like.
It was painful to sit through and watch.
On top of it all, Gene Honda wasn't there - Tom Shaer did P.A. duties, and Nancy Faust had brought her old organ to the patk, and it sounded totally different compared to what she's sounded like in the past.
Also, we have new parking passes this year, which make us park in the lots north (A, B, C, & G) of the park instead of south (E, F & L). Well, it actually took us an hour to get out of the neighborhood. We're going to have to pay attention to traffic patterns around the park after the game.
Speaking of after the game, we went over to Janie & Gary's for a wonderful dinner.
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posted at 10:53 PM | Link | White Sox | § |
Monday, April 03, 2006
Still in Fist PlaceI woke up and felt the need to see if the White Sox were still playing.
Sure enough, they were.
They got themselves into a 3-3 tie in the top of the 4th when the rains came. No, DELUGE.
Total Rain Delay time: 2 hours 57 minutes.
Sox won 10-4 around 1:10 in the morning.
posted at 01:19 AM | Link | White Sox | § |
Friday, March 24, 2006
Wolves 4 - Aeros 2
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Very good game tonight. Too bad Carol didn't go (she stayed at home "recuperating"). Hardly anybody from our "extended Wolves family" was there. Actually, I was glad Carol wasn't there because the guy that would have been sitting next to her and his 3 kids would have drove her nut. Drove me nuts. It was obvious that they never heard of nor heeded the "Wait For The Whistle" warning that's given in the announcements before the game.
Great intensity. Great swarming the puck, great defense in front of the net. They looked really good. Too bad we're still not in a playoff position. It may be the first time in franchise history that we'll miss the playoffs. Actually, Carol and I are planning on it - we didn't buy any postseason tickets this year. I mean, why? If we get there, we're not going anywhere, so why spend the money that we don't have?
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posted at 11:08 PM | Link | Wolves § |
Saturday, March 11, 2006
Wolves 3 - Rivermen 4 (Shootout)
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We knew we were in trouble in the parking lot, watching people dressed-up for St. Patrick's Day pouring out of a motor coach. The team wore this year's St. Patrick's Day Jersey (which will be auctioned-off next week). I REALLY like this year's jersey.
The game was a little odd. Peoria came out very strong. Their first goal almost felt like it was a swarm that came down the ice and impossible to defend. The game was pretty physical and at least the boys seamed like they were in the game the whole way. Unfortunately, we ended regulation in a tie. Overtime was well fight but unproductive.
Then came the shootouts. I hate shootouts. I feel that our team can't defend them at all - I mean we've had six goalies this year. Their 3rd shooter was the first guy to score, and we were out when their 5th shooter scored... with nothing from us.
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posted at 11:12 PM | Link | Wolves § |
Saturday, March 04, 2006
Wolves 6 - Americans 4
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Help me...
I was just here 24 hours ago... it's a ll a blur... why do I insist on following and supporting this losing team...
The biggest surprise of all, other than nobody that normally sits near us actually showed-up for the game (they were probably getting as overwhelmed as us), was that the Wolves re-signed long-time defenseman Bob Nardella, who was dressed and played tonight.
In what is becoming too familiar - starting goalie Tuomas Tarkki gave up 2 real easy goals and was replaced with Michael Garnett, who was slightly better.
It was a struggle, but the "new" team showed-up we we actually won.
Hate to say this, but even with 11,994 people there, it was nice not having Brad and Jen in front of us, letting us stretch out a bit...
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posted at 10:51 PM | Link | Wolves | 1 comment § |
Friday, March 03, 2006
Wolves 5 - Griffins 2
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It's been just 48 hours ago since we've been here, watching the Wolves give a typical losing performance.
Tonight, we're facing an old nemesis who used to be in our division, but now leads our conference a full 30 points ahead of us (we're 12th behind them). We don't see them as often as we used to, so this rivalry can't be in the same shape.
We score first. No big deal, we've been there before. We score again. OK, a little different. The referee tonight - Francois St. Laurent - starts calling really tacky penalties. We have 3 guys in the box, and we get through the period without giving up a goal.
The usually flat 2nd period goes halfway before the Griffins score a goal, but then we get one back. There's a lot of holding, pushing, shoving, boarding and things progress where they slowly get out of hand. Yes, the old rivalry is still there. It gets bad enough when their goalie Joey MacDonald takes down one of our guys after getting bumped into. He gets our guy on the ice and starts pummeling him in the head with his blocker.
This is really out of control, but we come out on top 5-2. How can it be that we can't beat teams that are worse than us but we beat the Conference leader? How schizophrenic is this team?
What made the experience all the worse was the guy sitting next to Carol who was frenetically jumping up and down in his seat all night and yelling odd things at the ref ("go back to Walmart" "you missed your short bus" "go back to Canada you hoser") and few obscenities along the way that made the whole section uneasy.
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posted at 11:14 PM | Link | Wolves § |
Wednesday, March 01, 2006
Wolves 2 - Moose 5
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First period - the boys look OK, they keep the puck in the offensive zone most of the time and just seem to control the game. We outshot them 17-9, though we were tied 1-1. Second period - totally different team shows up on ice. We still outshoot them 15-9, but now we're losing 4-1 and our starting goalie Tuomas Tarkki is replaced with Michael Garnett, who gets booed when he comes on the ice because the fans don't trust him.
We lose 5-2 and "old man" Wade Flaherty had 39 saves.
Of course, even though there was only 4321 people there, the fans that showed-up were there to torment Jimmy Roy.
Let me just say that, yes we did and this could be the last trip for Jimmy to "The Wolves Den".
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posted at 10:26 PM | Link | Wolves § |
Game On!YEEEEEEESSSSSSSS!!!!!
Sitting at my desk and listening to baseball on the radio!!!!!!!!!!!!
OK, it's preseaon.
OK, it's a different station covering the games.
OK, it's a different broadcast team covering the games.
But, it's baseball!!!!
posted at 02:04 PM | Link | White Sox § |
Monday, February 27, 2006
The IdiotI've never been a fan of Frank Thomas.
Now, he may be destined for the Hall of Fame. He really did contribute for years for the Chicago White Sox. He was a big deal.
Was.
He also could have had this city wrapped around his little finger. If he would just shut-up, or say a few things a certain way. Maybe even actually do a few charity things. No. He squandered what he had. He got hurt. He stopped producing meaningful numbers. He wasn't a go-to guy, he was a goat.
His time had come a long time ago, passed, and yet he lingered a bit too long. When the team finally gets together and wins the World Series for the first time in 88 years, his 35 games/109 At-Bats/.219 average barely contributes.
And now he's in Oakland.
Chicago White Sox general manager Kenny Williams called former slugger Frank Thomas" an idiot'' over the weekend, because Frank continues to whine about the way he was treated. A selfish man, who refused to play first base, who hadn't played a full season since 2003, didn't like the way he was treated.
Yeah, we treated him well. Too well. He should have been gone years ago under that "diminished skills'' clause of his contract.
Idiot. Shut-up and play for your new team. You're showing your whining to your new team now, and I hope they're listening. No "I" in "team", my friend.
posted at 01:40 PM | Link | White Sox § |
Saturday, February 25, 2006
Wolves 8 - Barons 0
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We got to the game over a half an hour late - and we walk in to hear Wayne Messmer just doing the National Anthem - it turns out DePaul's basketball game ended later than it normally did, pushing everything out in time.
I really can't tell you what happened during the game because I can't explain the play. The team didn't really appear to be all that different, but apparently it was. They weren't quicker, they were just getting to the puck better, they were passing better, they were shooting better. How else can you explain this losing team's 8-0 shutown win? We scored on both of their goalies like we knew what we were doing. In the meantime, the Barons were barely taking shots all game. It was a pretty clean game, too. Felt like it went fast because of the lack of penalties.
HUGE crowd - 16,607 fans - the 10th largest crowd in franchise history. Has to be because of Group Sales.
(Boxscore - Gamesheet)
WAIT... the strangeness doesn't end there...
During the First Intermission we had a wedding on the ice. Vladimir Len, or Vlad, is an off-ice official that sits in the box below us, usually as the Penalty Timekeeper. He's marrying a fan that sits over to the left of the visitor Penalty Box, Holly. The team even had a press release about them, and it was shown on the scoreboard and broadcast as part of the game over Comcast cable.
You know - I couldn't do this. I could get married at Comiskey, but I couldn't get married at a hockey game.
Wedding Bells to Ring at Wolves Game on Feb. 25
02/13/2006
The Chicago Wolves will host an on-ice wedding during the first intermission when the team battles the Cleveland Barons at the Allstate Arena on Sat., Feb. 25, at 7 p.m.
Holly Braun, a Wolves season-ticket holder since 2001, will marry Vladimir Len, an American Hockey League off-ice official and former team season-ticket holder, in the eight-minute ceremony. Wolves season-ticket holder “Tattoo” Ron Gac (GACK), an ordained minister and tattoo artist, will make the bond official.
The Wolves will provide the newlyweds with flowers and a wedding cake, courtesy of Jewel-Osco, and a night’s stay in the Presidential Suite at the Wyndham Hotel in Rosemont.
Braun and Len – a Chicago native – met at the 1999 International Hockey League All-Star Game in Cincinnati and have been attending Wolves games together for five seasons.
The Wolves game – along with all regular-season and playoff contests – and ceremony will be televised live in the Chicago area on Comcast Cable. Log on chicagowolves.com for the channel designation in your area.
For more information or tickets to the game, call 1-800-THE-WOLVES. « hide the extended part of this entry
posted at 11:11 PM | Link | Wolves § |
Friday, February 17, 2006
Less tickets on sale todayThe White Sox put up tickets for sale to the general public today. They also said that - for the first time on franchise history - they have sold 2 Million Tickets before Opening Day.
We already have sell outs:
All games available except Sunday, April 2 vs. Cleveland Tuesday, April 4 vs. Cleveland Saturday, May 6 vs. Kansas City Friday, May 19 vs. Cubs Saturday, May 20 vs. Cubs Sunday, May 21 vs. Cubs Friday, July 7 vs. Boston Saturday, July 8 vs. Boston Sunday, July 9 vs. Boston Thursday, August 10 vs. New York, which are sold out.
posted at 09:24 AM | Link | White Sox § |
Tuesday, February 14, 2006
WE DON'T CARE IF YOU'RE A SEASON TICKET HOLDER...I'm full of all kinds of emotions right now, the major ones are anger and hurt.
For the first time since becoming a Split Season Ticket Holder for the White Sox since January of 1996, Carol and I will be missing Opening Day.
Why?
read more of this entry »
Because the White Sox all of a sudden are HOT in Chicago, and season ticket sales have skyrocketed, to the point of having a standby list (if you want Post Season tickets as well). There are too many people for the seats available.
Since we're split-season, we don't get all of the games, in particular opening day. We have a Split Season plan that is just weekends only (a friggin' WONDERFUL package for watching baseball). Since Opening Day is traditionally a weekday game, we never got tickets for that game, but at some point in the pre-season, before the public could buy tickets, we got the option of buying tickets for Opening Day.
This year, Opening Day is Opening Night, Sunday night April 2, and is the actual kick-off of the baseball season - it will be the first game played anywhere, broadcast on ESPN that night.
Let's ignore the fact that this game is a SUNDAY (meaning a WEEKEND game) because this game was actually on Monday the 3rd, and ESPN and MLB asked to have it changed to Sunday. (So, because it was originally a Monday game, it doesn't qualify as a "Weekend" game for us weekend-only people).
Because of the bloat of season tickets, the White Sox did not offer us the ability to get any tickets to that game.
Today, all Season Ticket holders were able to buy single game seats for any game. We were to be emailed a special password to get into Ticketmaster website to purchase tickets after 10am. The public doesn't buy tickets until the 17th.
I logged on early and noticed that the Suite and Scout Seat Season ticket holders got an hour before we did to purchase tickets. I waited for my Password email to show up - and it NEVER did. Instead, about 10:25 I received and email from someone at the White Sox about a bogus link that was mailed-out but the passwords we were given were still OK to use.
That's when I knew i was in trouble. I immediately replied to the person on the email and got a somewhat prompt reply saying that the password was my account number.
Too late. It was an hour into our session, 2 hours after tickets were being sold this morning.
I didn't have a .
I wonder how many season ticket holders bought additional seats because they could when the rest of us schlubs never had a chance?
And if you aren't a season ticket holder? FORGET ABOUT IT. AIN'T NOTHING LEFT TO BUY.
I've been so damn excited and giddy about the team winning the World Series, especially in such convincing fashion.
But, as they say, "be careful what you wish for."
I feel that, even though I am a Season Ticket Holder, I am not being treated like one because I'm a Slit-Season guy and not a Full Season guy.
We have been treated fine for the past 10 years - but not now. « hide the extended part of this entry
posted at 11:25 AM | Link | White Sox § |
Saturday, February 11, 2006
Wolves 1 - Phantoms 6
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Just because we won last night, why should I believe that we could win two in a row?
Nope - can't go two in a row.
Left early again... with only 4 minutes left in the game this time, and only one goal under our belkt... which Carol & I didn't see because we had to let somebody our row while the game was in play.
Listen and remember one thing: "WAIT FOR THE WHISTLE"! Don't stand up while play is going on - it's dangerous!
Big crowd - 11,804 watched the loss.
(Boxscore - Gamesheet) « hide the extended part of this entry
posted at 10:26 PM | Link | Wolves § |
Strong women
After watching the Canadian Women's Hockey team beat Italy 14-0, I'm convinced they could possibly beat the Chicago Wolves.
posted at 01:32 PM | Link | Olympics § |
Friday, February 10, 2006
XX Games open
The games are open.
I love HDTV.
Why American 70's/80's music to march the teams into the stadium?
Did Luciano Pavarotti actually sing or was it tape? He sure wasn't straining at all. There wasn't enough close-ups for a definitive answer.
posted at 11:04 PM | Link | Olympics § |
Wednesday, February 08, 2006
Wolves 1 - Crunch 3
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Oh, God.
Nine games out of the last playoff birth...
The team has NEVER missed a playoff, they've been that good.
I guess we got spoiled.
This team SUCKS. It's painful to watch. there's only a glimpse every so often of what these guys can do. It's not just the Atlanta draft picks, even the non-Atlanta Wolves-Contract players suck. We don't have a goalie worth a damn.And we've had SIX of them!
I stay to watch my movies (open to closing credits), I stay to watch my sporting events.
We left during the second intermission and missed no scoring (big surprise!)
We're straying from the team. Give us hope! Show us something! Don't play so desperate!
(Boxscore - Gamesheet) « hide the extended part of this entry
posted at 09:10 PM | Link | Wolves § |
Friday, January 27, 2006
Fest-lessJust got off the phone with our pal Janie. None of us is going to SoxFest, which starts in under an hour. Of all years to not pay attention to when tickets were on sale, the year in which the World Series should not be one of them. It would have been a great night... or weekend, but I screwed-up. We screwed-up. Nuts.
Came home to find the invoice to sign-up for the Stadium Club for the year. For a split-season ticket package it went up over $100 to $550. It's worth it for the beginning of the season when it's cold & rainy. It's worth it for those 90 degree summer days. And boy is it worth it in post-season. We split it with Janie & Gary and it works out. Pretty upset the price went up, though...
posted at 04:11 PM | Link | White Sox § |
Thursday, January 26, 2006
Changes at TPFKAC™Hearing rumors about some of the changes going on at Comiskey... "The Joan"... "The Cell"... US Cellular Field... whatever. (Still pissed-off about the name of the place and it's been three years).
Went looking through WhiteSoxInteractive and found some disturbing stories.
I've been waiting years to change the color of the seating from that pool blue to green, the way ballparks should look. I got all excited when they made the announcement that it was going to happen. So it started last year, and it was supposed to progress through last season. Never did. This off-season, they've gone through, starting upstairs, and ripped out all the seats and replaced them (as of this writing, they're not complete - the last two sections are to done - somehow they received the wrong seats). The started working downstairs - but only up to the dugouts. that's right, my section WON'T be getting new seats this season for the second year in a row. there's no explanation why. Here's where the rumor and speculation come in: in the majority of "modern" ballparks, the seats in these areas are specially built so they are canted toward the infield, sort of like setting the seats at a 12 degree angle while keeping the whole row straight. Now, if that's what they're doing, then I'll shutup and relish in the canted seat next year. If that's not what happening, and they're just stalling again, then I'm going to be pissed, because who sits in these seats? The Partial Season Ticket Holders, who are slowly starting to feel screwed by the team (the possible inability to get Opening Night tickets was the beginning of the mistreatment).
On a different subject, what may be the most disturbing news for me.
Nancy Faust will not be playing organ at all of the games in 2006. In fact, she's only playing day games. Nancy says it's her idea. Perhaps it's the beginning of a retirement after what will be 37 years of playing the organ.
I know that people want to hear something more modern, like the clips that are played for the home players when they come up to bat. (Nancy plays pieces for the visiting teams batters).
It's baseball. You've got to have organ music.
You gotta have Nancy.
posted at 11:17 AM | Link | White Sox § |
Saturday, January 21, 2006
Wolves 4 - Admirals 6
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We're at that point in the Season where the Chicago Wolves come up with a special jersey to wear for 3 home games so they can be auctioned-off for charity. This year is a Mardi Gras themed jersey to benefit the Red Cross and Hurricane Katrina relief. It's odd seeing the team in yellow. Somehow I've accepted their St. Patrick's Day jerseys as their fourth jersey (after the Maroon, White, and alternate Black jerseys). The auction doesn't happen until tomorrow, so any of the prices I saw today make no difference to tomorrow. The jerseys were all over $500 and the top-end for today was $1,000. you could expect that all to at least double tomorrow.
Let's just say that they color of the jerseys makes no difference to the performance on the ice. 6:21 into the First period we were already losing 3-0, on 4 shots (the first shot went off the post. Michael Garnett was terrible and was pulled for Adam Berkhoel. And the went on a tear of 4 goals into the 2nd. By the end of the 2nd, the Admirals had tied it and we never came back, losing 6-4 (though I thought that Milwaukee's last shot of the game came before the buzzer as they shot into our empty net and they'd make it 7-4, but I guess it was too late.)
I have to tell you, the team is so bad it's making Carol re-think season tickets for next year. She's just not that interested. I totally understand why. I'm surprised there's been as many people to the games as there have been.
It's an inferior product that they're putting out there for the first time in franchise history. We suck, We're not getting consistency and not showing improvement.
(Boxscore - Gamesheet) « hide the extended part of this entry
posted at 10:21 PM | Link | Wolves § |
Wednesday, January 18, 2006
20,000 and climbingThe White Sox announced that Season Ticket sales have passed 20,000, the highest in franchise history. This is allowing General Manager Ken Williams to raise the payroll to $95 million, certainly something that can't hurt the team. The downside? Because of the way MLB handles postseason tickets, anybody buying a full Season Ticket after January 15 (or Partial after January 9) will NOT get any options to buy Postseason tickets. A waiting list has been created for people that want to get the postseason options. WAITING LIST. The Sox have a WAITING LIST for Season Tickets (soft of). I NEVER thought this would happen in this town. There's also a RUMOR floating around (it's just a rumor) that - because of the number of Season Tickets being sold - the popular Dog Day promotion may be canceled because there will be too many Season Ticket Holders that will need to be displaced when the bleachers are vacated to make room for the dogs and their owners. Another rumor going around - due to the new City of Chicago Smoking Ordinance, U.S. Cellular Field will now be smoke-free. (As a non-smoker, all I can say is "YES!")
posted at 11:22 AM | Link | White Sox | 1 comment § |
Friday, December 30, 2005
Wolves 11 - Rivermen 5
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We looked bad at the beginning of the game - Peoria was fast and aggressive, passed the puck and handled the puck very well. By 4:09 in the first, we were already down 2-0.
Then, the most remarkable thing happened.
We started scoring.
And never stopped.
We set a franchise record for goals in a game (11) and goals in a period (7 in the 2nd Period).
Strange coincidences permeated the game - like our 7th goal was by #7 Mark Popovic, the 8th goal was by #8 Pat Dwyer and our 10th goal was by #10 Ramzi Abid. Weird!
Now how about this - 11 goals on 22 shots?!?!? Both teams went through two goaltenders (I think we did just to give them some rest, since we so far in the lead)
And we got called for Too Many Men on the Ice THREE TIMES!
Now, it didn't hurt that in the 2nd at 14:58 Rocky Thompson went after Billy Tibbetts and gave us a power play for some time after getting 2 minutes for Roughing, 2 minutes for Instigating, 5 minutes for Fighting, a 10 minutes Misconduct - Instigating and a Game misconduct - Aggressor (56(a)). We only got one Power Play goal during that time - our major downfall of the past season(s).
This was one for the record books, one to experience.
(Boxscore - Gamesheet) « hide the extended part of this entry
posted at 10:46 PM | Link | Wolves § |
Friday, December 23, 2005
Wolves 3 - Bears 4 (Overtime)
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Outshot 40-30.
Referee Bob Langdon called a very uneven game. We were up 3-1 in the 3rd (Tuomas Tarkki actually looked great), and then all of a sudden were called for some cheap penalties and the Bears got back into the game and tied it 3-3.
In overtime, Langdon calls Kip Miller for Holding the Stick (which we're now dubbing the Brokeback Mountain penalty) in Kip Miller at 3:19 into overtime, and the Bears score 4:32 into overtime. The Wolves went nuts, pitching and hollering at Langdon. According the the scoresheet, the Bench got a 10-minute Gross misconduct at the end of the game.
REALLY SCARY part of the game - sometime during the 3rd, one of the Bears got hit in the throat. He went don in front of his net, struggled to get to his feet, coasted back to the bench and collapsed in the bench. Everything else happened pretty quickly. A doctor cam onto the ice and was escorted to the bench. Paramedics and police brought out a gurney. Players and coaches stood in front of the bench door, making "snow" with their skates on the ice. (I think they were applying it to the guy's throat). He eventually stood-up and you could see that his throat was really red and wet.
(Boxscore - Gamesheet) « hide the extended part of this entry
posted at 10:37 PM | Link | Wolves § |
Saturday, December 17, 2005
Wolves 3 - Admirals 4
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9-11-1-3, 22pts, in 6th place in the division, 20 points behind the first place Aeros, only 1 point ahead of the last place Rampage. 6 different goaltenders, Goals Against averages between 1.47 and .4.41
WE SUCK
Nice to see our Power Play is still missing after many years - 1 / 8.
Lackluster. Unmotivated.
The Big Deal for this game was supposed to be Bobby Hull. Let's just say expectations weren't managed well. Did he skate in the warmups? No. He dropped the Ceremonial First Puck, then retired to the Budweiser bar, where he stayed for the rest of the game yo sign autographs. There was a lot of Hull memorabilia that was Silent Auctioned to raise money for Wolves' charities.
Somehow, we expected more. Just like our team.
Update: WOW. Holy Crap. I've heard stories about Bobbie Hull signing autographs for his fans, that he wouldn't stop until everybody was satisfied. Say what you want about the guy, but he finished signing everything at 1:30 A.M.!
(Boxscore - Gamesheet) « hide the extended part of this entry
posted at 10:21 PM | Link | Wolves § |
Friday, November 25, 2005
Wolves Announcement
Went to the Wolves practice facility here in town. I was too curious about this Media Alter from Wednesday night. There was a big tournament going on, so there were a lot of parents and kids there, but no indication of a press conference.
I talked to a few people and the rumor flying around was that Bobby Hull was in the building.
That seems like two different things going on at once.
I was wrong.
read more of this entry »
Wolves "Sign" a Hull of a Player
11/25/2005
The Chicago Wolves have “signed” National Hockey League Hall-of-Fame left wing BOBBY HULL. He will be in uniform when the Wolves host the Milwaukee Admirals at the Allstate Arena on Sat., Dec. 17, at 7 p.m.
“I’m proud to be with the Wolves,” said HULL. “They’re a part of Chicago and I’m pleased to be back because it’s the greatest city in the world with the greatest sports fans in the world. With the new rules today, maybe I could score 25 goals – of course I’ll be 67 in January.”
The 66-year-old forward amassed 610 goals and 1,170 points in 1,063 NHL games spanning 16 seasons with the Chicago Blackhawks (1957-1972), Winnipeg Jets (1979-1980) and Hartford Whalers (1979-1980). He also collected 62 goals and 129 points in 119 playoff games, which includes helping the Blackhawks win the 1961 Stanley Cup Championship.
HULL also spent seven seasons in the World Hockey Association with Winnipeg (1972-1979), registering 303 goals and 638 points in 411 contests.
The Pointe Anne, Ontario, native was recognized twice as the NHL’s most valuable player (1964-65 and 1965-66), captured three league scoring titles (1959-60, 1961-62 and 1965-66) and garnered one Lady Byng Memorial Trophy for combining sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct with a high standard of playing ability (1965-66).
“Our scouts have loved this guy since the ‘50s. He’s a young 66, and with the new rules, we expect him to light it up like never before,” said Wolves General Manager Kevin Cheveldayoff. “It should be a treat for our fans to see a legend like No. 9 at the Allstate Arena on Dec. 17. If this works out, I may have to give Guy Lafleur, Glenn Hall and Gordie Howe a buzz.” « hide the extended part of this entry
posted at 10:56 AM | Link | Wolves § |
Wednesday, November 23, 2005
Wolves 4 - Hamilton 2
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The day before Thanksgiving and I'm at a hockey game alone - Carol is at home getting ready for tomorrow.
Before the game we were all talking about a sheet that was included with all of the media packages - MEDIA ALERT - WOLVES TO ANNOUNCE MAJOR SIGNING FRIDAY NOVEMBER 25 9:45 AM. What the hell was that going to be about?
The game started smooth - we had the same ref as Saturday - Scott Hoberg - who didn't call anything and just let the guys play. Tonight - different story.
At 15:21 into the First, we're winning 1 to nothing when an altercation happened against the boards on our side (boarding). Next thing we know, a couple of fights broke out. Now, to all of us in the crowd (OK, not-so-crowd - 6,612) this was just a fight - nothing odd, nothing malicious, nothing to write home about. Hoberg is taking forever calling the penalties. In fact, later, after we had seen the entire off-ice officials that were working in the scoring booth laughing at Hoberg, we found out that Hoberg changed his mind four times.
So what came of this?
How about 2 minutes for Instigating, 5 minutes for Fighting, 10 minutes Misconduct - Instigating.
It doesn't stop there - here's the rest:5 minutes for Fighting and a Game misconduct - Secondary altercation (56(f)); 5 minutes for Fighting and a Game misconduct - Secondary altercation (56(f)); 5 minutes for Fighting; 5 minutes for Fighting and a Game misconduct - Secondary altercation (56(f)); 2 minutes for Boarding, 5 minutes for Fighting and a Game misconduct - Secondary altercation (56(f)).
For the rest of the period and all of the 2nd, it felt like there was always somebody in the Penalty Box. The 3rd started the same way and then everything was fine until the last 4 minutes where there were more odd penalties, nothing near as severe that we had in the First, but this guy would call nothing and then wake-up and start calling things. Very uneven. Total penalty minutes for both teams: 151 minutes
The play is starting to pickup. We just may not finish in last place this year...
(Boxscore - Gamesheet) « hide the extended part of this entry
posted at 10:32 PM | Link | Wolves § |
Saturday, November 19, 2005
Wolves 3 - Admirals 2
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We're 4-6, 6th in a 7 team division.
The team sucks.
But somehow tonight, with a packed house of 14,538 the boys actually won. And, in the First Period, looked pretty good. In fact I thought it looked like we could easily score against Milwaukee. I shouldn't have said that as Milwaukee quickly tied the game. The second period was bad. The third had a great start (which we were looking for to see what the team was made of).
Seems like we have a "goalie-du-jour", with goalies being signed, sent up, sent down, and released. It's a revolving door. Brad said that that last night the goalie (same as tonight Tuomas Tarkki) had his first AHL game - and was throwing-up in the locker room ahead of the game.
The big comment among the "regulars": "Who are these guys?" It's such a brand new team with new faces every week - it's hard to root for guys you don't know.
(Boxscore - Gamesheet) « hide the extended part of this entry
posted at 11:00 PM | Link | Wolves § |
Wednesday, November 02, 2005
100 days
Just 100 days until the XX Olympic Winter Games in Torino (or is it Turin?) Italy (February 10, 2006).
posted at 08:51 AM | Link | Olympics § |
Tuesday, November 01, 2005
How much change is good change?Here's were it's all going to start for the 2006 White Sox - the first player movements.
read more of this entry »
The big positive move - picking up the option on Cliff Politte for $1.2 million
The team declined the 2006 option on designated hitter Carl Everett, buying him out at $500,000 instead of his $5 million option. So he's the first guaranteed to go (and, you know, I'm OK with that).
The first Free Agent move was actually Paul Konerko last Thursday (the Sox have exclusive financial negotiating rights to Konerko through Nov. 10, but you know he's going to test the waters and God knows what kind of offers he's going to get. PRIORITY, people, let's get ready to handle getting this guy back), but another happened quietly - Geoff Blum. Both guys have said they want to return to the Sox.
Frank Thomas exercised his $10 million player option for 2006 (but the team has five days to elect to give him a $3.5 million buyout and people believe that's going to happen because of his ankle fractures).
We've got arbitration coming up for Jon Garland, A.J. Pierzynski , and Joe Crede so there's going to be more money there.
Oh, then we have the incentive bonuses: Jon Garland and Mark Buehrle can earn at least $60,000 if they finished no lower than fifth in the American League Cy Young Award voting (to be announced Nov. 8).
Oh, let's bring up something that caught my attention: The Curse of 1906
This is a Chicago-wide baseball curse. Chicago has not celebrated a postseason baseball series championship of any kind on its own soil. Didn't happen this year (ALDS was won in Boston, ALCS in Anaheim and the World Series in Houston). In 2003 the Cubs won the NLDS in Atlanta.
In 1906 it HAD to be a Chicago team: the Sox topped the Cubs at South Side Park in Game 6 of the World Series.
Great, just what the city needs, another curse. « hide the extended part of this entry
posted at 09:10 AM | Link | White Sox § |
Friday, October 28, 2005
Wearing the Championship
Carol left me in charge of getting our World Series championship apparel, so I went over to Dick's Sporting Goods after work. Last time I was there they didn't have anything with any playoff logo on it. Guess that all changes when a team becomes World Champions - they carved-out a really good sized area in front of the store and loaded it with merchandise. Apparently this is going on all over town - sporting goods storing opening hours earlier than normal and the merchandise is just being scooped-up.
posted at 04:06 PM | Link | White Sox § |
Streaming Video is a good thingLocal TV stations in Chicago started their coverage of the White Sox celebration (a celebratory motorcade from the park though the neighborhoods to the Board of Exchange, followed by a "Ticker Tape Parade" down La Salle street (like they still use ticker tape... I heard they're using shredded-up Chicago Sun-Times newspapers... in my opinion a good use of the Sun-Times, but that's gotta look crappy) and a rally in the midle of La Salle and Wacker, right at the river.
Anyway, some of the local stations (Channels 2, 5, 7, and 9) are streaming their coverage over the web so I'll be able to watch from my desk!
Update: Sign in the crowd downtown: JOE CREDE I WANT TO GO TO THIRD BASE WITH YOU
posted at 11:03 AM | Link | White Sox | 1 comment § |
Thursday, October 27, 2005
Water CanonsI guess the White Sox just landed at Midway and the cool thing was that their plane (looked like an American Airlines 757) was welcomed with a traditional Fire Department Water Canon salute (it's where the fire department water canon trucks will setup opposite each other off of a taxiway and shoot a curtain of water into the air over the taxiway that the plane taxi's underneath). It's cool to watch because that's something that only done on very special occasions and I've never seen it done at a Chicago airport.
posted at 03:31 PM | Link | White Sox | 1 comment § |
Wednesday, October 26, 2005
WE ARE THE CHAMPIONSCHICAGO WHITE SOX - 2005- WORLD SERIES CHAMPIONS
Not much to say here... I'm kinda overwhelmed and overcome with emotions, I guess.
To follow one team all your life and finally see them win the championship.
Priceless.
read more of this entry »
(Boxscore)
Just a small town girl, livin' in a lonely world
She took the midnight train goin' anywhere
Just a city boy, born and raised in south Detroit
He took the midnight train goin' anywhere
A singer in a smokey room
A smell of wine and cheap perfume
For a smile they can share the night
It goes on and on and on and on
Strangers waiting, up and down the boulevard
Their shadows searching in the night
Streetlight people, living just to find emotion
Hiding, somewhere in the night
Working hard to get my fill,
everybody wants a thrill
Payin' anything to roll the dice,
just one more time
Some will win, some will lose
Some were born to sing the blues
Oh, the movie never ends
It goes on and on and on and on
(chorus)
Don't stop believin'
Hold on to the feelin'
Streetlight people
« hide the extended part of this entry
posted at 11:05 AM | Link | White Sox § |
That's 3Damn it. Fell asleep in the friggin' chair watching the game. Woke up when the local Fox news was on after the game. Checked TiVo, but it stopped after Uribe's at bat in the 14th, right after Blum's homerun. (have been TiVo-ing all of the games and copying them off to DVD... just for "posterity")
14 innings (The only other World Series game that lasted 14 innings was on Oct. 9, 1916, when the Boston Red Sox beat the Brooklyn Dodgers in Game 2) Five hours and 41 minutes. (longest (time) in World Series history). 482 pitches. 17 pitchers (the previous high of was 13 for a World Series game). Most walks in a World Series game - 21. Most walks by one team was a record, too, for the Sox - 12. Most players used in a World Series game - 43. The 30 men left on base, 15 by each team, were the most in a World Series game. Most combined Double Plays - 6. Scott Podsednik became the first player to have eight official at-bats in a Series game. First World Series game played in the state of Texas.
I knew it was going to be a rough game. If the Sox didn't win, I wasn't too concerned thinking that the Astros and fans would be pretty pumped. They were but everyone sure fell silent ion the 5th when we scored 5 runs to take the lead after being down 4-0 (especially off their "superstar" pitcher Roy Oswalt, who everybody was raving about, to the point of giving him a win for the game handily without him even throwing a pitch - like he was predestined and nobody could touch him).
Hope I can stay up and watch the game tonight!
read more of this entry »
posted at 01:47 AM | Link | White Sox § |
Saturday, October 22, 2005
World Series ShoppingWe're having company over tonight - a perfect time to get out of the house to let Carol clean it without ME being around.
Besides, I've got places I need to go and see.
After all, the World Series is in town for the first time in 47 years.
read more of this entry »
I drove down to U.S. Cellular Field. Note to self: don't take the tollway. Though the oasis is a plus for drinks and snacks, but the construction at the River Road Toll Plaza to start the conversion to Open Road Tolling is going to screw things up - cost me over 15 minutes today, can't imagine what it'll do tomorrow.
There's no traffic around the park, but there's sure a lot of people out and about. I stop and take a picture of a huge banner that's covering the ramps at Gate 6. It's a Grinder Rules ad:
GRINDER BALL RULE #162:
CRYING IN BASEBALL --
ONLY ACCEPTABLE IF CHAMPAGNE BURNS YOUR EYES
Priceless.
I take a right onto 35th. I hadn't planned on stopping at the park to take pictures, but there's just too much happening. I notice that there's a group in the southwest corner of Lot B. Us Flags, City Flags - What's going on? I pull into the lot and walk over - only to miss the end of a Press Conference by Mayor Daley, talking about the Ceremonial Bet of Lou Malnatti's Pizza, Eli's Cheesecake, Atomic Fireballs and Tootsie Rolls. There's a fiberglass cow painted/decorated in Sox colors. And, of course, what everybody in the city has been looking for - Ozzie Guillen cardboard masks. Everybody is taking their own Eli's cheesecakes, and pizza's. Took pictures of the mayor and cow. I walk toward the park and find out that the grounds crew took the World Series stencil that's used on the field and painted a duplicate on a piece of grass outside the park so people can get their picture taken on it. (which I did, thanks to an elderly lady that decided - on her own, mind you - to stand on a bus stop bench to get a better shot (she was right!). Walked around the property and found all of the exterior souvenir stands open and busy, both with customers and with stocking the shelves with new product. After gathering a few things, I walked back to the car and drove just a few blocks west to Grandstand, the world's best White Sox souvenir stand on the face of the planet.
Grandstand had a huge line formed outside the building, running down Wallace. It took me 45 minutes to get into the building - and then I felt like the proverbial "kid in a candy store" and ran around just grabbing those things that I just wanted. Hundreds of dollars later, I escaped the building.
The day wasn't over, however. I heard about what the city was doing with the well known statuaries around town, so I drove over to Michigan Avenue and went to the Art Institute. I parked my car on Columbus and walked along the front of the building.Took pictures of the huge lions that flank the entrance to the building - with large White Sox hats on their heads. Walked to Daley Plaza and took pictures of the Picasso Statue, also with a Sox head on top of its... "head"? Walked back to the car and headed home... and accidentally found the third statue involved on Congress: The Bowman and The Spearman is a statue of an Indian on a horse... that's wearing white socks with White Sox logos on them.
Everybody I saw all day had White Sox stuff on. I saw maybe two people with Cubs stuff (obvious psychopaths).
This is really friggin' cool... « hide the extended part of this entry
posted at 02:43 PM | Link | White Sox § |
Friday, October 21, 2005
If the sky's gonna fall, at least let's make the place look good...The Picasso statue in Daley Plaza is wearing a Sox hat.
The two lions in front of the Art Institute are being fitted for hats and will be wearing them shortly.
(I don't know this statue) the hoofs of a downtown sculpture titled "The Bowman and The Spearman" are to outfitted with white socks in time for tomorrow night's Game One against the Houston Astros.
The mayor's office is distributing 20,000 Ozzie Guillen masks. (That's supposed to make the place look better?)
posted at 02:07 PM | Link | White Sox § |
Today has become "The Sky Is Falling" dayToday, the White Sox and the media are laying it on thick. The World Series is coming to town, but if you don't have a ticket, don't bother getting anywhere close.
The first game starts tomorrow night. The police & FBI are blocking of the streets for a block around the park. Nobody without a ticket gets inside the area. On top of that, there will be random car searches. I remember 2 years ago the searches they were doing around the park prior to the All-Star Game. The real unnerving part? They had guys with Geiger counters checking for radiation coming from the cars... makes you wonder if they heard"chatter" about a "threat". And, jeez, the World Series is a pretty big public event... Great...
read more of this entry »
World Series opens Saturday at U.S. Cellular Field 10/20/2005 11:29 AM ET MLB.com
CHICAGO -- The American League Champion Chicago White Sox will host the National League Champion Houston Astros for Game 1 of the World Series on Saturday, October 22 at U.S. Cellular Field.
The White Sox are making the following recommendations to fans attending World Series games:
• Game 1 will begin Saturday at 6:30 p.m.; Game 2 begins at 6:30 p.m. on Sunday, October 23. Games 6 and 7, if necessary, are scheduled for Saturday, October 29 and Sunday, October 30 at 6:30 p.m.
• World Series tickets are sold out. Fans without tickets should not come to the ballpark. No standing room tickets will be sold.
• For the entire World Series, the Bullpen Sports Bar, the outdoor seating adjacent to the Bullpen Sports Bar, the Pontiac Fundamentals Area and the center field Fan Deck are sold out. These areas were sold as regular ticketed areas and will not be available to the public.
• Fans should arrive early to avoid traffic. Gates to the ballpark open at 4:00 p.m. on both days.
• The White Sox strongly recommend that fans utilize public transportation. The CTA Red Line stops near the ballpark at 35th Street and the Green Line is two blocks further east.
• Fans driving to the ballpark with reserved parking coupons should follow the directions on the coupon back to reach their assigned parking area. Parking coupons should be displayed prominently as fans approach the ballpark. All cars are subject to inspection.
• Cash parking will be very limited, and fans intending to drive and pay for cash parking should follow directional signs to available lots. Additional parking will be directed to IIT, Michael Reese Hospital and McCormick Place, where free shuttle service will be available each day.
• Tailgating is permitted, and parking lots will open at 3:00 p.m. Tailgating during and after games is prohibited.
• As is the policy throughout the regular season, fans holding tickets for the upper level will not be able to access other levels of the ballpark. This policy ensures that fans safely and comfortably enjoy the game with access to the areas of the ballpark where they bought tickets.
• Finally, the White Sox ask fans attending games to be respectful of the neighborhood and homes surrounding the ballpark before and after games.
This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
World Series Road Games 4 and 5 to be broadcast at the United Center 10/21/2005 11:48 AM ET MLB.com
CHICAGO -- The American League Champion Chicago White Sox have announced that World Series Games 4 and 5, being played Wednesday, October 26 and Thursday, October 27 in Houston, can be viewed by fans at the United Center, the home of the Chicago Bulls and Blackhawks.
Tickets for the World Series viewing party are $15, with proceeds being split equally among the official charities of the White Sox, Blackhawks and Bulls. Both games begin at 7:30 p.m. CDT, and gates to the United Center will open at 6:30. Seating will be general admission.
The event will feature the White Sox famous opening introductions, scoreboard video montages and all of the promotions fans would experience at a White Sox home game. It will be the closest thing to being at U.S. Cellular Field.
"The World Series is the pinnacle of this exciting White Sox baseball season, and we knew our fans would want to watch the games together in an energized stadium atmosphere," said White Sox vice president of marketing Brooks Boyer. "We anticipate the possibility of inclement weather, so we were thrilled to work out a partnership with the Blackhawks and Bulls that ultimately will end up supporting worthwhile causes. We think our fans will feel good about that."
This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs. « hide the extended part of this entry
posted at 11:39 AM | Link | White Sox § |
Wednesday, October 19, 2005
Houston, eh?So we finally find out what opponent we have for the World Series:
Chicago White Sox vs Houston Astros
It's going to be a long, well fought series.
posted at 10:50 PM | Link | White Sox § |
Tuesday, October 18, 2005
Tickets? HA!World Series tickets went on sale at noon today.
Gone in 18 minutes.
Thank God we have ours already. There weren't a lot of tickets available anyway - I've heard 2,00-4,000.
Still don't know who we're playing.
Update: Well, it's Houston.
Update: Here's the word on tickets from the Inside The White Sox blog, written by Scott Reifert, their Vice President of Communications: I've gotten quite a few questions about how the tickets are distributed. The White Sox get our allotment for STH, etc. Then MLB takes a big chunk for the following: MLB sponsors, licensees, broadcasting partners, the media, all other 28 teams, every MLB player, umpire, etc.
What's left goes on sale to the public, which was just over 10,000 tickets available to the general public for the four games. If you figure there were 140,000 people trying to get 2,500 opportunities (since each could buy four tickets), you can determine how tough the odds are and how many fans were disappointed.
Update: This should put us in our place. 10,000 tickets in 18 minutes? How about Tickets for Wrestlemania 22, to be held in Chicago on April 2nd of next year at the Allstate Arena, were put on sale last week -- and sold out in less than two minutes. And that was 15,000 tickets.
posted at 06:15 PM | Link | White Sox § |
Sunday, October 16, 2005
OHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGODCHICAGO WHITE SOX - AMERICAN LEAGUE CHAMPIONS - 2005 I didn't think we'd win 4 straight and actually go to the World Series! 4 straight games of complete game pitching?
This is unheard of.
Paul Konerko gets the ALCS MVP trophy.
No World Series appearance since 1959. 46 years. 16,825 days between qualifications.
No World Series win since 1917. 88 years. (let's not get ahead of ourselves)
I wish I could explain to you the feeling of following a team all your life and the team finally makes it to the championship. It's unbelievable.
Yes, there's tears. Tears of joy. I can't explain it. Relief. Pride. Excitement.
(Boxscore)
posted at 10:41 PM | Link | White Sox § |
Saturday, October 15, 2005
Wolves 1 - Moose 3
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A year has passed and we're back at the Allstate Arena for some AHL Hockey action.
Sorry. Not ready for this - baseball is still going on, my team is really into it, and hockey... can wait for all I care.
The game seemed "foreign". We don't have a single goalie we had before. Most of these guys have never played with us. Our new captain - Derek MacKenzie (Steve Maltais is gone - rumors fly - looking at Europe? showed up to camp way out of shape? retired?) - breaks his ankle sliding into a goalpost in the first.
Still don't have a powerplay - how many years will this go on? - Just feels like there wasn't enough practice time with the members of the final team to iron passing and just plain fundamentals.
Sucks.
(Boxscore - Gamesheet) « hide the extended part of this entry
posted at 10:53 PM | Link | Wolves § |
Friday, October 07, 2005
Sweep? Sweep? SWEEP!
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First playoff series win since 1917
First playoff sweep in team history
We advance to the AL Championship series for the first time since 1993.
WE SWEPT BOSTON - how did that happen?
OH! Picture this - Damaso Marte (who I STILL don't understand why the HELL he's on our playoff roster) LOADS THE BASES WITH NO OUTS in the bottom of the 6th. 4-3 White Sox. It looks like it's over.
Ozzie - pissed at home plate umpire Mark Wegner's ball-strike calls - brings in former starter El Duque, Orlando Hernandez - who gets out of the inning with a foul out, a pop fly, and finally a strikeout (a Full-count check-swing by Johnny Damon was ruled that he actually went through the check).
After that, El Duque had two scoreless innings while allowing only a two-out single to John Olerud in the eighth.
Sox Win. WHITE Sox Win. And Advance.
(Boxscore) « hide the extended part of this entry
posted at 07:33 PM | Link | White Sox § |
Sunday, October 02, 2005
OK, now that the season's over...For the first time in a while (actually, only 5 years but it's long enough) it's time to get ready for post-season baseball.
But it took until today to figure out what was going on. We swept the Cleveland Indians (which I was surprised/shocked about).
We end the season TIED for the best record in all of baseball (best in the AL at least - we tied with the ST. Louis Cardinals) - 99-63. I think that's an OK comeback from our little "slide". (The Cardinals had the best record in baseball at 100-62. We came pretty damn close after losing our best record to them in August)
So, here's how the AL plays out for the ALDS First Round:
read more of this entry »
Boston Red Sox vs. Chicago White Sox
Gm 1 BOS @ CWS Tue Oct. 4 4:00 pm ESPN
Gm 2 BOS @ CWS Wed Oct. 5 7:00 pm ESPN
Gm 3 CWS @ BOS Fri Oct. 7 4:00 pm ESPN2
Gm 4* CWS @ BOS Sat Oct. 8 TBD
Gm 5* BOS @ CWS Sun Oct. 9 TBD
* - if necessary
New York Yankees vs. Los Angeles Angels
Gm 1 NYY @ LAA Tue Oct. 4 8:00 pm FOX
Gm 2 NYY @ LAA Wed Oct. 5 10:00 pm ESPN
Gm 3 LAA @ NYY Fri Oct. 7 8:00 pm ESPN
Gm 4* LAA @ NYY Sat Oct. 8 TBD
Gm 5* NYY @ LAA Sun Oct. 9 TBD
* - if necessary
« hide the extended part of this entry
posted at 03:42 PM | Link | White Sox | 2 comments § |
Thursday, September 29, 2005
As John Rooney would say... "Another White Sox Winner!"
MAGIC NUMBER 1 but it doesn't matter...
CHICAGO WHITE SOX - AMERICAN LEAGUE CENTRAL DIVISION CHAMPIONS - 2005
Chicago's victory reduced its magic number to one, clinching a tie for the American League Central title. But even if the Indians were to sweep the three-game set at Jacobs Field this weekend, thus clinching a playoff berth, the White Sox would win the tiebreaker for the AL Central crown with an 11-8 edge in head-to-head play.
The reason the White Sox and Indians wouldn't play a one-game playoff is because, with the Red Sox and Yankees playing each other this weekend, one team would be guaranteed to finish out of the playoffs if the Indians swept the White Sox. And in instances in which two teams from the same division are guaranteed to make the playoffs, MLB does not use a one-game playoff, instead relying on head-to-head records to break the tie.
Alight, this is pretty damn exciting. I feel great. MY team is number one, and the Chicago National League Baseball Club is nowhere to be seen this year. We've taken all the crap you North Siders have dished out, and this particular year you've got nothing. Your team didn't even get to .500. So shut the hell up this year - next year, we're on again. This year - SHUT UP.
However, I will graciously extend my arm to help out anybody willing to jump on the bandwagon to see how far we can ride it this year.
I realize I live in Chicago. I realize we don't have the greatest history when it comes to championships with any professional team in the city. We may get no further than this round. This is OK. Like I said, come 2006 it's "Game On" all over again.
Here's two seemingly opposite stats that bring the whole year in focus as a great start and a sickening slide at the end: Only the 10th team in history to be in first place every day of the season, and the only team in history to have a 15-game lead drop below three games, And we still won it with 3 games to spare.
It sure is nice feeling being on top. Again.
I'm just excited that we get to raise a flag on Opening Day next year. I just wonder what it will say?
(White Sox 4 - Tigers 2 - Boxscore)
read more of this entry »
And as for my little rant above, here's a piece from today's Chicago Tribune:
Q: If a Cubs fan living in Chicago pulls against the White Sox, does it indicate he or she might be mentally unbalanced?
A: "If the teams are not directly competing against each other, the idea of a Cubs fan rooting against the White Sox becomes a little pathological," says Dr. Robert Burton, an assistant professor of psychiatry at Northwestern University. "Technically, it probably stems from some unresolved sibling rivalry kind of thing. Otherwise, you have to wonder what a Cubs fan has to gain by pulling against the White Sox. Not too much, really, unless it's to feel better about himself. If the White Sox lose, then they're both in the doghouse.
"A resolved sibling rivalry would let you enjoy the success of your neighbor, or whomever, and root against each other only when you're going head-to-head. Any kind of sibling rivalry is commonly referred to as arrested development. Then, you get history and other issues layered on top of everything, and it can compound things. I personally pay more attention to whichever team is succeeding."
-- Mike Conklin « hide the extended part of this entry
posted at 02:26 PM | Link | White Sox § |
Wednesday, September 28, 2005
Magic Number 2 1 2Oh, crap... I don't know how my body is going to survive the stress.
One more game against Detroit.
3 final games against our nemesis Cleveland.
Magic Number is reduced with each White Sox win or Cleveland loss.
Magic Number to clinch the division.
Update: Magic numbers are so confusing... If we want to limp-in, the Magic Number is 1.
BUT - If we win tomorrow, and Cleveland wins the rest of 3-game series against them, WE TIE for the AL Central. But then, the White Sox would win the tiebreaker for the American League Central by an 11-8 record in head-to-head competition.
Oh, and let's muddy the water with a coin-toss: If we limp-in with a Wild Card spot, The Sox won a coin toss to host a possible one-game Wild Card playoff contest against either the Yankees or Red Sox on Monday (because the Yankees or the Red Sox are guaranteed 2 losses this weekend - they 're playing a 3-game series against each other)
posted at 09:07 PM | Link | White Sox § |
Monday, September 26, 2005
Wolves 5 - Rivermen 6 - Preseason
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The training facility is literally just blocks away from our house - how could we not go? Carol and I went to the Hoffman Estates Park District Ice Rinks to watch the first Chicago Wolves pre-season game there. Of the other venues that the Wolves have used, this is probably the smallest seating capacity. But, heck, $6 for a ticket? How about the $1 for a small Coke? You can't pass this up. And it's our first look a the Peoria Rivermen who are new to the AHL this year.
Well, other than 3 guys that I remember from last year, NO ONE ELSE has been on the team before, so it's a little daunting trying to figure out how everyone plays. First thing you notice this year is lack of size. We used to have a bunch of tall guys - not any more. Lots of fights tonight (the teams met for the first time this past Saturday). Play is sloppy, passing is still poor, the power play still doesn't exist.
The more things change the more the stay the same.
Weird watching hockey, especially up-close, when I haven't let go of baseball yet. « hide the extended part of this entry
posted at 09:08 PM | Link | Wolves § |
Sunday, September 25, 2005
White Sox 4 - Twins 1
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90 minute rain delay. It really came down. I sat out in the rain - alone - with my rain slicker on, siting in my assigned seat. The tarp on the field was upside-down - I wonder if the sponsor printed on the front didn't re-up for the full season. When the tarp was pulled and the field was readied, the ceremonial first pitch was John Rooney throwing to Ed Farmer. He broadcasted his last home game today after 17 years with the team. This was a great broadcast team - Rooney & Farmer have been rated second behind Vin Scully as best broadcast team (and, obviously first in the AL). And now, after the contract with AM-1000 MVP (The ESPN Flagship station) is over and the broadcasts go to The Score WSCR 670, a MUCH smaller station with a much more powerful signal) Rooney can't get the money he wants, doesn't like the way he Sox treated and leaves the organization (this sounds exactly like any long-time White Sox Player when he hits the end of his contract and the Sox just don't want to pay). I can't imagine what the radio broadcasts will be like without him.
Another screamer of a game - Mark Buehrle worked fast again - the game lasted 1:53.
A very cool thing happened during the game: It was obvious that EVERYONE was doing scoreboard watching. The whole place erupted in cheers, applause, and just all-out noise... just as Buehrle was getting ready to pitch to Luis Rivas, with one out, nobody on base and the White Sox leading, 1-0. Kansas City beat the Indians in the bottom of the 9th (The Indians had won 17 of their last 19 and 38 of their last 50! WE CAN'T SHAKE THEM!). THANK YOU ROYALS! The players had no idea what was going on - neither did the broadcasters. Oh, but we did.
Today was the annual end-of-season Fan Appreciation Day (alas, once again, we weren't appreciated).
But we had to leave the game early... and you know I DON'T leave a game EARLY...
(Boxscore) « hide the extended part of this entry
posted at 05:05 PM | Link | White Sox § |
Saturday, September 24, 2005
White Sox 8 - Twins 1
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Another great night for a ballgame.
And the ceremonial first pitch is tossed out by... Robin Leach? WTF? I guess he's here for some Illinois Lottery thing - there are people dressed-up as lottery balls all over the park causing havoc.
Would you believe a single-season record 18th sellout of the season at U.S. Cellular Field? In a way, I'm ecstatic, in another way, I'm embarrassed - only 18 in a season?
I can feel it - the team is turning around. Yes, it's the Twins that we're playing and we seem to have the number of every team in the AL Central, so maybe the scheduling was good. Maybe by winning we can pull ourselves out of this funk.
And, oh what a way to pull out - a 6-run 3rd inning. Small ball, long ball, smart ball.. I'm going to cheat here and just include a piece from MLB.com on the recap of the inning: Scott Podsednik opened the third with a double to right, followed by Tadahito Iguchi's perfectly placed bunt. It was Iguchi's second of four hits on the night, matching a career high previously set on May 3 against Kansas City. A.J. Pierzynski followed with a run-scoring double, marking his first RBI against his old team in 52 at-bats, and Paul Konerko drove in a second run with a single to right.
Dye capped the rally with a three-run blast to right on a 2-2 pitch from Mays, increasing his home-run lead among all Major League right fielders, and producing his second blast in as many nights. Joe Crede added his 21st home run off Matt Guerrier in the frame, equaling a career high.
After the game, before the fireworks, the Illinois Lottery brought out 20 winners of some contest that -as a second chance to a losing lottery ticket - people won brand new cars (Road to Riches). So 20 cars paraded out onto the track all around the field. (This whole thing was MC'ed by Robin Leach and whoever it is that's in charge of the Lottery... oh, I didn't mention it, but just as I had suspected, Leach can't throw a baseball. That ceremonial first pitch was pretty poor). The cars all stopped and the owners got out. In the trunks were signs that showed how much additional money they had won - up to $25,000. 3 of them had Lottery Logo signs. Those 3 people walked to Center Field and chose one of three huge Scratch-off cards sitting on easels. They were given what looked like a snow/ice scraper to scrape off the covering of the cards. It was obvious from the start that no one at the Lottery actually tested these scratch-off cards. The covering wasn't coming off. After many minutes, the contestants were given what looked like credit cards to try and get a better edge to scrape off the covering. No Dice. Finally, someone gave one of them a bottle opener - probably from the Bullpen Sports Bar. Well, that guy was finally able to scrape off the ticket - and he was the Grand Prize winner. In addition to his car he also won $1 million! The other 2 each won $100,000.
this was supposed to have been the largest single lottery event in the nation (with the dollar amount of the prizes given). It was going fine until the scratch cards (or as we like to call them, the scratch-and-sniff cards). Pretty embarrassing for the Lottery. And then it was time for the final fireworks of the season, but the left the cars on the track until afterward (looked pretty cool if you got one of the Pontiac Crossfire convertibles and you can sit in your brand new car, on the field, and watch the fireworks).
First back-to-back wins for the Sox since Sept. 6-7. Let this nightmare be over! Still only 1½ games ahead of Cleveland (They're relentless! They won't leave us alone!) MAGIC NUMBER: 7 (For the AL Central Championship, 6 just to get into the playoffs)
(Boxscore) « hide the extended part of this entry
posted at 10:42 PM | Link | White Sox § |
Friday, September 23, 2005
Great. Taunt me.
So, guess what came in the mail yesterday.
My playoff and World Series tickets.
I think that stabbing pain I had yesterday (which hasn't gone away, it's just "significantly muted") was to show me what a Cub Fan feels like.
read more of this entry »
Let's look back at August 1st...
The White Sox are solidly in First Place of the AL Central, 15 games ahead of Cleveland, and owners of the best record in all of baseball - 69-35.
This morning, still in first, but only by 1½ games over Cleveland. It's the Sox' smallest lead since April 30. They have a record of 91-61, still best in all of the American League but no longer best in all of baseball. We were the first team to 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, and 70 wins. Not to 80 and not to 90. There's 10 games left in the season. Their magic number is 9.
The last three games of the season is against Cleveland. We lost to Minnesota last night. The White Sox have lost 10 of 14. « hide the extended part of this entry
posted at 08:49 AM | Link | White Sox § |
Sunday, September 11, 2005
White Sox 1 - Angels 6
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Hotter today than yesterday. This time we came better prepared by bringing wet frozen hand towels (in ziploc bags) in Carol's bag the she brings to every game. Can keep drinks cold (or at least much cooler) or use on your face, neck, hands, and head to cool down.
However, we started the day by picking up our friend Janie and having Sunday Brunch at the Stadium Club restaurant. we hadn't had a sit-down meal at the club all season, so we thought we should do that while we could.
Well, the great El Duque - Orlando Herndandez - was crap today. He gave up 4 runs in two innings . He was pulled for our new guy, Brandon McCarthy, whom I like a lot. He lasted 5 2/3 innings and only gave up 2 runs.
Our offense has virtually disappeared. we don't score until the bottom of the 9th, and it was only 1 run.
(Boxscore) « hide the extended part of this entry
posted at 09:45 PM | Link | White Sox § |
Saturday, September 10, 2005
White Sox 5 - Angels 10
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I wasn't ready for the heat and humidity today, and got to the ballpark ill-prepared.
It's a 12:15 game - Fox picked up the broadcast. Was supposed to be a 6pm game, so that's why the place is half empty (but will still have a decent attendence number because they count tickets sold - paid attendance - and how many people really knew about the time change. And here it is - a battle of two first place teams.
Hey! Bill Wennington (former chicago Bull) threw out the first pitch! (But so did Leon Spinx... big contrast there)
If this is a possible post-season matchup, we'rein trouble. The game was a mess. Even though, we're first to score and lead 2-0 through 2, Jon Garland gives up 7 runs in 6 innings. Call-up David Sanders comes in at the top of the 7th. ONE PITCH - Chone Figgins homered to left. FOUR PICHES - Orlando Cabrera walked. Garret Anderson looks at a strike, hits one foul, and on his THIRD PITCH doubled to deep right, scoring Orlando Cabrera. Vladimir Guerrero on frst pitch hit sacrifice fly to center, Garret Anderson scored.
Let's see... 1 + 4 + 3 + 1 = 9 pitches = 3 runs.
Ozzie actually throws in the towel, and starts substituting players (5 of them) during our half of the 7th, and we put 3 more runs on the board.
Not enough.
(Boxscore)
« hide the extended part of this entry
posted at 04:59 PM | Link | White Sox § |
Sunday, September 04, 2005
White Sox 2 - Tigers 0
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Kind of a funky day - great temp, but cloudy/hazy.
Today was a Kid's Day and, for the first time ever, the starters were not available to sign autographs. (Found out that Ozzie "was trying to give them as much rest as he could given the schedule of the next few days").
The Ameriquest Blimp flew over the park again today (it was here for the whole series - except yesterday. Did Comcast pay for it? It was WGN yesterday...)
Jon Garland threw a complete in game in 2:07, better than Mark Buehrle 's time yesterday, and went to 17-8.
The team needed this series to start to get that winning feeling back. They're doing it with everything - pitching, hitting, defense, long ball, small ball, smart ball.
Saw something new (thanks to the "Grinder Rules" radio commercials): when Scott Podsednik is on base, the crowd starts to chant "Go! Go! Go! Go! Go!". It messes with the pitchers. Works pretty well, too. (Well, except Scotty got a Caught Steeling third).
So, where are we?
No longer the best record in baseball (St. Louis 87-50), but best in the AL at 84-51. Not the First team to reach 80 Wins (St. Louis, again). First Place in the AL Central, 9½ games ahead of Cleveland, 12½ in front of Minnesota. Magic Number? 18 , I believe.
(Boxscore) « hide the extended part of this entry
posted at 05:44 PM | Link | White Sox § |
Saturday, September 03, 2005
White Sox 6 - Tigers 2
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Gorgeous night at the park. Actually, there's a few thousand more people here than I expected (30,509). We have never experienced a night like this with the amount of foul balls that came our way, either right at us or within a section. Unbelievable.
Great effort tonight. Mark Buehrle got his 15th win (I don't think he can make 20 this year), and we had homers by Rowand and Dye.
The most unsettling and unsatisfying thing happened outside the game, when the White Sox announce that broadcaster John Rooney wouldn't be coming back to the broadcast booth after 18 seasons - a SHAME and a GREAT LOSS.
(Boxscore) « hide the extended part of this entry
posted at 09:12 PM | Link | White Sox § |
Sunday, August 21, 2005
White Sox 6 - Yankees 2
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A WHITE SOX WINNER!!!
The streak is over!!! (for now, anyway)
What a gorgeous day for baseball - perhaps the best yet. No clouds in the sky, the humidity has dropped from yesterday. Gametime temperature 78 degrees.
No Goodyear Blimp today... so we had a B-1B High speed pass over the park after the National Anthem! (No Thunderbirds today - they actually had a mid-air incident during yesterday's show where two planes touched, dislodging the missile rail on one jet's wing, sending it fluttering (carbon composite?) into Lake Michigan).
We had a pre-game concert by somebody named Michael Tolcher. Odd.
The big deal in this game is the 4th inning against Randy Johnson.
Everything happened so quickly - at least it felt like it. Would you believe 4 home runs in the inning? THREE in a row?
And a few singles, too.
The crowd really let loose. I guess it was just that streak that got to all of us (not to mention the players). It was such a relief. I've included details of the inning below from MLB.com:
Pitch 1 - Foul Bunt
Pitch 2 - Foul
Pitch 3 - Ball
Pitch 4 - Foul
Pitch 5 - Foul
Pitch 6 - In play, out(s) recorded
Pablo Ozuna grounds out, shortstop Derek Jeter to first baseman Tino Martinez.
------------------------------
Pitch 1 - Ball
Pitch 2 - Ball
Pitch 3 - In play, run-scoring play
Tadahito Iguchi homers (12) on a fly ball to right field.
------------------------------
Pitch 1 - Swinging Strike
Pitch 2 - Ball
Pitch 3 - Ball
Pitch 4 - Called Strike
Pitch 5 - Foul
Pitch 6 - In play, run-scoring play
Aaron Rowand homers (11) on a fly ball to right center field.
------------------------------
Pitch 1 - Called Strike
Pitch 2 - Swinging Strike
Pitch 3 - In play, run-scoring play
Paul Konerko homers (32) on a fly ball to left field.
------------------------------
Pitch 1 - In play, no out recorded
Jermaine Dye singles on a line drive to left fielder Hideki Matsui.
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Pitch 1 - In play, no out recorded
Juan Uribe singles on a line drive to right fielder Tony Womack. Jermaine Dye to 3rd.
------------------------------
Pitch 1 - Pickoff Attempt 1B
Pitch 2 - Pickoff Attempt 1B
Pitch 3 - Ball
Pitch 4 - Swinging Strike
Pitch 5 - Foul
Pitch 6 - In play, run-scoring play
Chris Widger homers (4) on a fly ball to left field. Jermaine Dye scores. Juan Uribe scores.
------------------------------
Pitch 1 - In play, out(s) recorded
Brian Anderson pops out to third baseman Alex Rodriguez in foul territory.
------------------------------
Pitch 1 - Ball
Pitch 2 - Ball
Pitch 3 - Ball
Pitch 4 - Called Strike
Pitch 5 - In play, out(s) recorded
Geoff Blum lines out sharply to shortstop Derek Jeter.
------------------------------
"The ball that Widger hit was literally shoulder-high," added Johnson, who had allowed 12 home runs in 116 1/3 previous career innings against the White Sox. "It wasn't meant to be a strike, it wasn't a strike, and had he not hit it, it would have probably gone to the backstop. In the fourth inning, all [heck] broke loose. I don't have an explanation for it."
During all of this, there was a kid is a Kerry Woods Cubs jersey and Yankees hat walking up and down the aisle giving the thumbs down on all of this, trying to shut-up the Sox fans. (like that was going to happen.) As a note: Worst fans at a Sox game: 1) Cub fans 2) Yankees fans. Somehow, the Boston fans seen so much nicer than either of these two groups. At least we can co-exist and have a good time. Not so with Cubs and Yankees fans.
Anyway, here's to hoping that the upcoming 10-game road trip is successful now that the streak is off their backs. We need to turn this around.
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posted at 09:42 PM | Link | White Sox § |
Saturday, August 20, 2005
White Sox 0 - Yankees 5
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SEVEN STRAIGHT LOSSES
SEVEN
The white Sox haven't lost 7 straight all season. They haven't lost 6 straight all season. They haven't lost 5 straight all season.
SEVEN
No one is hitting. No one is running. Pitching is suspect. Defense is falling apart - no one is paying attention, getting in the moment.
They're frustrated.
Even worse - it looks like they're burned out. Best record in Major League Baseball. GONE. 15 game lead? Down to 8½ games. You don't want to get to the end of the season on a slump - you want to "find yourselves" and get the team turned around and start winning again and start on the upward climb as you approach post-season.
Weather was crappy today - 79 degrees but the most humidity we've ever had - almost the most uncomfortable game of the year. I sat down after my usual walks around the park and placed my arms in my lap. A couple of outs later I picked them up and my pants were soaked through where my arms were. Never happened to me before. Weird.
Today was Beatle Tribute Day - the Beatles played at old Comiskey Park 40 years ago today. Good music and tribute bands around the park. After the game, a concert - at Gate 5 - the location of Old Comiskey Park (quite fitting). (Pete Best actually threw out the first pitch.)
Today was also the Chicago Air and Water show. We usually see some planes flying over, but not today - we had the Goodyear Blimp today (Fox 12:15 game) (as well as at last night's game - no idea why) and planes can't fly near here if the blimp is here. Very disappointing.
Just a very disappointing day.
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posted at 04:42 PM | Link | White Sox § |
Tuesday, August 16, 2005
Invoice - $995I came home from work today and there it was in my mailbox.
An invoice.
For Post Season tickets.
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Since we're partial season ticket holders, we're not entitled to all of the games - we get all 3 Divisional Series ($55 each), we get 1 ALCS game ($100 each) and 1 World Series game ($185 each), as well as parking for all of the games. Major League Baseball also does not allow the team to honor the season ticket holder seats, so we're in a near or adjacent section. Cost - $995.
I'm happy and giddy and scared all at the same time - I giddy about the possibility of post-season games... but we're playing pretty poorly out there right now. Like we're burned out.
And burned out isn't a good place to be with only 45 games left in the season « hide the extended part of this entry
posted at 04:37 PM | Link | White Sox § |
Thursday, August 11, 2005
Ted Radcliffe - 1902-2005
Baseball lost it's oldest player today (103!). I used to see him around the park - he loved going to White Sox games (his retirement center was only a half mile from the park).
Ted "Double Duty" Radcliffe was an old Negro League player who got his nickname (from Damon Runyan) from playing a double-header - catching the first game of the double-header and pitching the second game!
A little bit of history is gone from the park. I hope he enjoyed watching this season. I wished he would have seen the whole season this year - including what just may happen this fall.
posted at 03:00 PM | Link | Baseball § |
Tuesday, August 09, 2005
Stupid Yankee Fan
Carol and I were watching the Sox game tonight when something really bizarre happened.
It was the bottom of the eighth - the Sox were winning against the Yankees in New York.
All of a sudden, you hear the fans get riled-up. The TV crew takes to a shot of - some fan that fell out of the upper deck and is now laying in the net attached to the backstop! Holy crap!
Update: There are reports that the kid jumped. 18-year-old Scott Harper of Armonk, N.Y. told three friends he was sitting with that he was going to test whether the net would hold his weight -- and then he jumped, police said.
Harper was arrested and police expect to charge him with reckless endangerment, criminal mischief, criminal trespass and disorderly conduct.
Idiot.
I do like these comments, though:
"I've never seen anything like that before," White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen said. "I think that's New York, you know, anything can happen."
"That was the only exciting thing that happened today," Yankees owner George Steinbrenner said.
posted at 08:55 PM | Link | White Sox § |
Sunday, August 07, 2005
White Sox 3 - Mariners 1
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I got to the park with less than an hour and a half before gametime - and I was still later than I wanted to be there.
Today was a special day - today is Carton Fisk Tribute Day. The White Sox were unveiling a bronze statue to Carlton Fisk on the outfield concourse (they're building a whole monument area out there over the coming years of all of the players that impacted the franchise - probably specifically the players that have their numbers retired by the team.) I couldn't get a good spot - obviously there are more fans of Pudge than there were of Minnie Minoso's on his day. I wound up standing behind the area. Everything "in front" was taken, even the staircase going up to the Fan Deck was full. So, I walked up to the fence and stood next to... Moose Skowron. The security guys kept coming over, inviting Moose to come "inside" the ceremonial area, and he kept refusing - he forgot his wearable credentials today, he didn't play with him, etc. Eventually, the 6-time All-Star, 5-time World Series winner accepted the invite. Roland Hemond was there - the GM that brought-in Pudge. Jerry Reinsdorf and Kenny Williams (with left arm in a sling after blowing a bicep muscle) were there. Ron Kittle was there (I saw him Friday night at Elvis night, making the rounds around the main concourse. Tom Shaer was the MC of the event - and as the event started, with Carlton and his entire family present (wife, son, two daughters, four grandchildren and parents), teammates Ozzie Guillen, Harold Baines and Greg walker - in uniform for the game - came up to join in the festivities. Then, sneaking in later, Jack McDowell showed-up.
The statue is really good - it's Fisk to a "T". It's really something to see. It's by Chicago artist Lou Cella, who also did the Harry Caray statue outside Wrigley Field, as well as statues for the Detroit Tigers (which is what this area is starting to turn into).
Carlton had a bunch of things to say, things that just seemed very poignant. He referred to joining the team as "back then when I changed my Sox".
Here's a guy who's in the Hall Of Fame, that says:
"This is the most spectacular and significant recognition that I've probably ever had in my whole life"
and
"I wanted to play forever. Now I'm going to stand here forever."
After the ceremony, Pudge threw out the first pitch - to Jack McDowell.
In a totally karmic moment, the Sox won today - it is win 72 of the season - the same as Carton Fisk's uniform number with the White Sox - 72.
In the game - (other than putting-up with the Mascots from the Chicago teams throwing out t-shirts into the crowd between innings) was a SCARY but wonderful catch by Aaron Rowand who hit the centerfield wall at full speed and held on to the ball when he collapsed face forward to the ground.
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posted at 09:51 PM | Link | White Sox § |
Saturday, August 06, 2005
White Sox 4 - Mariners 2
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I picked-up Barry at about 4:30, worked our way around the blocked-streets taken-up by the Northalsted Market Days, and high-tailed it down LSD (Lake Shore Drive for you non-Chicagoans) to the South Side. I was lucky enough to have Barry as my guest to the game tonight (substituting for Carol). I think I enjoy a game with somebody that likes baseball than going alone. And, I swear to God, I didn't know it was Japanese American Night...
We had our traditional "Sausages Around the World" dinner of a Polish (with grilled onions) and a Brat (with sauerkraut) - Barry seemed disappointed that - with the new permanent vending stands - the "top secret sauerkraut drawer" was gone. (A few years ago, when they were using portable carts, when you would ask for a brat with kraut, it was almost as if you were whispering to the vendor "with kraut" because it wasn't anywhere to be seen. The vendor then would open a drawer underneath the grill to access the private stash to put the kraut in the bun.)
Maybe it was that we were paying attention to the game, but we seemed to play better tonight (a homering by Konerko and more stolen bases - 2 by Podsednik and 1 by Iguchi). It was a game of manufactured runs - 4 runs on 4 hits with only 3 walks and only 2 left on base.
We took a quick walk around the park, since Barry hadn't been there in a few years. We stopped on stood in the doorway of Nancy Faust's booth to watch her play the 7th inning stretch (HIGHLY RECOMMENDED if you go to a game at the park - Nancy always has her door open and there's something timeless yet tinged with potential fear of knowing that someday you may never again experience Take Me Out To The Ball Game played by a stadium organist). I had to show Barry the outfield concourse which has tuned into Party Central on weekends. Here is where the action is - people meet, drink, smoke, and socialize out on the concourse. I've got a feeling that if I was 20-25 years younger and didn't care too much for the game, that's where I would be. Barry commented on how much it smelled like a saloon out there - beer and smoke everywhere.
The fire works were great, as usual and the drive back to Barry's house was a hell of a lot better than this afternoon's drive up the drive to his house.
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posted at 10:19 PM | Link | White Sox § |
Friday, August 05, 2005
White Sox 2 - Mariners 4
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The annual Elvis Night at U. S. Cellular Field. Starting outside the park, everything is just about the same as every year - impersonators on stages performing to the crowd. The crowd every year is what changes. I'm convinced that this year, everything is just tweaked-up a notch. There just seems like more people are "dressing" the part, whether they went the full jumpsuit approach, with hair and glasses, or just partially participating by wearing the aviator sunglasses with fake sideburns hanging from the frames. There are more kids dressing up, too. You know, 6-9 year olds. Odd. Then there's always the people that - you can just tell - are the real Elvis fans, still basking in the glow of the King, even when the King is fake. Poor Shawn Klush had equipment problems outside and the CD player with his background music kept cutting out.
Inside, the park was a sell-out. It's the 11th Sell-Out of the year - and is a franchise record. I fell embarrassed knowing that 11 sellouts in a year is a franchise record.
The E-Team flew in the flag during the National Anthem (sung by Shawn Klush) and had did their lighted-jump after the game in the dark. The Steppin' Out Dads did their little routines after the game and Shawn Klush headlined the post-game concert and then we had the best Elvis-night fireworks that I've seen.
Didn't win the Sox Split Charity Raffle this year (It was over $6,300) - the dry spell continues to three years.
Somehow, by going to the game alone, I didn't pay attention to the game play itself, and only knew that we lost the game, and it was Freddie Garcia pitching against his old team. Our only 2 runs were solo homeruns by Rowand and Pierzynski.
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posted at 11:46 PM | Link | White Sox § |
Wednesday, August 03, 2005
Schaumburg FlyersEvery year, Carol's company has an outing to see a Schaumburg Flyers baseball game. Today, it was another one of those days that we've been having - 90's, high humidity. Not conducive to watching a baseball game (an Independence League baseball game at that). Just as Carol was stepping out of the shower to get dressed tonight (she's still on "vacation") a thunderstorm moved through and the heavens opened-up. It was obvious it was one of those localized storms, or it could have been a remnant of a front that - what seems to be a daily occurrence - pushes through the region but as soon as it hits the Chicago area, it just breaks apart - never producing any lasting rain. I wanted to meet some of her new coworkers, so, admittedly, I coerced Carol into going tonight.
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By the time we left the house, the rain had stopped. We got a beach towel for being one of the first 2,000 guests to the park tonight. It came in quote handy during the evening. The annual outing always starts in the picnic area beyond left field, where large dining tents are setup, and tables of hot dogs, hamburgers and pulled-pork await. (the dog was OK, the burger was dry, and the pulled pork was great - if you ate it without a bun, otherwise it was a bit dry... maybe the buns were just sucking the life out of the meats...).
The skies opened-up again while we were dining, complete with wind, so everyone huddled in the center tables in the tents to keep away from the rain.
The rain stopped right before game time, so we went to our seats. The stadium is small, but clean and very well kept.
The game was a blur. I hadn't heard of anybody on these teams and the level of play was pretty poor. I was pretty damn uncomfortable in the seats (there slightly smaller than what I'm used to at Comiskey) and I just needed to get up and walk around - frequently. My legs were twitching - and now something new is manifesting itself - one of my legs starts to go a little numb if I can't get in a comfortable position.
Well, that's it. I couldn't take it any more. We left in the 6th - I couldn't tell you how the game ended. Sort of don't care either. Nice park, great seat location, bad seat construction and just an uncomfortable evening. carol didn't want to go in the first place, so there was no need to talk her into leaving - she almost lept out of her seat to leave. « hide the extended part of this entry
posted at 09:18 PM | Link | Baseball § |
Sunday, July 24, 2005
White Sox 6 - Red Sox 4
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GAME TIME TEMPERATURE: 100 DEGREES
37,168 showed-up on a day that the mercury hit 102 degrees.
As for us - we IMMMDIATELY headed for the Stadium Club and got seats along the upper rail.
I can't tell you much about the game - Gary called the final score before the first pitch as Sox winning 9-2 and we totally dismissed him. He was a lot closer than we thought he was.
During the game I went out onto the outfield concourse to see what was going on. The sun was unbearable. I saw two different triage areas being run by medical staffs that had people holding 25lbs bags of ice on there heads while sitting on chairs as the await wheelchairs to get themselves hauled out to someplace to cool down. The line for the Rain Room was the longest I have ever seen, and it was slow moving as no one wanted to leave the cold water.
New Magic Number: 53.
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posted at 10:32 PM | Link | White Sox § |
Saturday, July 23, 2005
White Sox 0 - Red Sox 3
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We somehow dodged still another horrendous weather day by getting the tail of a storm come through before the game/ It never made the 90's today because of the cloud cover - game time was 81 degrees.
Tough, tough game. El Duque actually pitched OK. Orlando Hernandez had 2 runs and 4 hits in 6 2/3 innings, with 3 walks and 3 strikeouts...
Second base umpire Paul Nauert blew 2 obvious calls for the White Sox. When you see calls like this, you can't help but wonder if this guy was paid-off.
This is showing the character if the team - we're coming-up short on offense, the pitching has been... adequate. We've lost 3 games in our leas against the 2nd place Twins, and are now not 13 games ahead but 10 (whoops 10 1/2, the Twins split a bouble-header today). New Magic Number: 54.
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posted at 10:42 PM | Link | White Sox § |
Monday, July 18, 2005
Magic Number61
I don't get it. The Chicago Tribune is posting the Magic Number for the Chicago White Sox. It's just days after the All-Star Game. This is Chicago. Nobody goes out on a limb like this when it comes to sports teams in town.
But here we are - the Sox still have the best record in all of baseball, again the first team to 60 wins. As of this morning, they're 12 games ahead of the 2nd place team (Twins). I'm not expecting to retain the "best record in baseball" title much longer - the St. Louis Cardinals are just 2 games behind in the win column and they have been stronger than the Sox.
And now the media have started noticing the local team that's actually in First Place and I'm getting that "jinxed" feeling, when you don't say certain things even when they're right in front of you, so you don't jinx the situation and have it change.
And there it is - Magic Number 61 - the number of White Sox wins and 2nd place team losses needed to win the division.
It's only July and they're calculating and publishing a Magic Number.
Scary.
posted at 05:22 PM | Link | White Sox § |
Tuesday, July 12, 2005
ASGAfter actually attending the All-Star Game in my own hometown, watching the game on TV SUCKS. There are a lot of ceremonies that aren't televised. Hell, they don't even broadcast the Canadian National Anthem anymore! And who threw out the ceremonial first pitch? Don't know - wasn't broadcast. Too many friggin' commercials to run so you don't see anything. Then, when the game is on, there's not enough attention paid to the game. Example - when Kenny Rogers ended his stint on the mound, they interviewed him in the dugout - and never mentioned who the hell was at the plate. Here's a guy, maybe his first time to the All Star Game, who is up to bat and strikes out and the TV crew never says a word on who the person was - it was all about Kenny Rogers, why he was at the game, what he thinks of the crowd reaction... They even screwed up some of the graphics - Early in the game, Fox showed a graphic of the "defensive alignment" of the American League starters. Everyone was there EXCEPT White Sox starting pitcher Mark Buehrle - who was replaced with Chris Carpenter, the starting pitcher for the National League. The audio sucked all night. The little "lipstick" cameras mounted in the ground are cool and give you a different perspective on the game, but they were really dark and almost useless.
I'm jaded. I just didn't enjoy the coverage, In fact - I turned it off more than halfway through the game. I didn't care that I hadn't yet seen 3 of the 4 White Sox players that were there.
(Boxscore)
posted at 10:29 PM | Link | Baseball § |
Sunday, July 10, 2005
White Sox 8 - Athletics 9 (11 innings)
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Another hot, sunny one.
It was a battle all game, though. We actually had a lead... once.
Man, Oakland has our number. I just wanted the game to be over. and they swept us. It just seamed like a struggle every single damn game and going into the All Star Break with a 3-game loosing streak can't be good. The real pressure is coming up. All of September are division opponents. It's when we hit Boston and New York in August that it'll really show where we are.
I hope we don't fade.
But here we are - we STILL have the best record in all of baseball (been that way all first half), and we're still in First Place, nine games ahead of the Twins.
Nice place to be - how long can we stay?
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posted at 10:39 PM | Link | White Sox § |
Saturday, July 09, 2005
White Sox 1 - Athletics 10
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audblog audio post
So, yes, I was in the booth with organist Nancy Faust for the 7th Inning Stretch! She actually invited me in when I was standing outside, just watching!
What an absolutely gorgeous night for baseball. Unfortunately, we have a team that really has our number - the Oakland Athletics. Our two All Star Pitchers - Garland and Buehrle couldn't do a thing to stop[ them, and we couldn't do a thing against their pitching.
This might just turn into a suck-it-up and move on type of weekend series.
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posted at 10:06 PM | Link | White Sox | 2 comments § |
Sunday, June 26, 2005
White Sox 0 - Cubs 2
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Hotter today than yesterday. In the sun longer, too.
This much I will say: pitchers' duel. It was a great display.
Other than that, THANK GOD THIS IS OVER and we can concentrate on teams that matter.
Hated - absolutely hated - all of those fans that don't know where the hell they're driving going to the parks, don't know where their walking along the concourse, and don't know when to shut the hell up.
We still have the best record in baseball.
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posted at 07:15 PM | Link | White Sox § |
Saturday, June 25, 2005
White Sox 2 - Cubs 6
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We prepared for the worst weather-wise, but even though it was in the 90's, there was a breeze directly off the lake, allowing us to survive the afternoon from the weather.
We were talking to Victor before the game, and we had all come to the same conclusion. We hate going to these games. We hate the people that show up. We hate the Cub fans at the Cell. We're better off selling our tickets and watching the game in the comfort and safety of our homes.
Jose Contreras sucks and sucked. Gave up a grand slam in the 1st and that just tainted the whole damn game from there. I mean, he hit 3 batters, had 2 wild pitches, 105 pitches - 61 were strikes. He was just all over the place. Carl Everett and Jermaine Dye had back to back homers. Whoopee.
So much for that winning streak, dead after 8 games straight.
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posted at 07:12 PM | Link | White Sox § |
Friday, June 24, 2005
HedgingLet me go on the record here, before anything gets started this weekend.
It has nothing to do with NextFest at Navy Pier, or the wonderful gastronomical Taste Of Chicago that kicks off today.
No, it has to do with baseball, interleague play, and the damn Cubs-Sox series.
I hate this event. Just hate it. I just can't stand the people that show up at the park, get plastered, and start shouting asinine comments at people and just looking for a damn fight. It's both sides of the aisle, both sides are guilty. I just hate the environment. Makes it quite difficult to try and enjoy the game.
We're in the middle of a pretty damn intense heat wave. Temps today are supposed to be around 96, with a Heat Index of 105.
Things happen in an environment like that.
Now, that being said, I don't have a good feeling about the outcome of these games either.
The Sox start the series 9 1/2 games in First Place in the AL Central, with a record of 49-22, the best in all of baseball.
Means nothing in this series. It's all about the outcome of these three games. And even though we lead the series 2-1 so far, I'm not sure we''ll come out winning this series. There's something in the back of my head that feels we can't do it right now. We've won the last 7 games - can we continue it? It seems like a longshot to come out on top for the weekend.
I don't know, it's just a feeling.
That's it. Go about your business.
UPDATE: Score of today's game: Sox 12 - Cubs 2
posted at 08:52 AM | Link | White Sox § |
Sunday, June 19, 2005
White Sox 4 - Dodgers 3
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This game had failure written all over it before it even started. Let's see, ESPN National Game. Bad news - Sox don't do well on National TV. Game 3 of the series that we're winning 2-0 - Sox don't sweep. They just never seem to get there. Jose Contreras pitching - catcher A.J. Pierzynski has said that sometime even he doesn't know what Contreras is going to throw.
The crowd was down from yesterday - 27,350 - but it's probably because it's Sunday Night instead of a day game, like normal. But they were really into the game. This series has just been exciting - and it just doesn't seem we're out of it.
It was the 21st White Sox comeback victory this season along with the club's fifth three-game sweep. Cliff Politte - a reliever - is now 5-0! And Dustin Hermanson closed - something we haven't seen in well over a week - for his 16th save.
And here it is - 23 days away from the All-Star Game, and we're 7 1/2 games in First Place, with still the best record in all of baseball (46-22).
It was a wonderful, electrifying experience to be at these games.
And yet, after all that, I still don't have a good feeling about the games this weekend against the Cubs...
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posted at 11:34 PM | Link | White Sox § |
Saturday, June 18, 2005
White Sox 5 - Dodgers 3
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Holy crap, holy crap, holy crap, holy crap... I haven't felt this alive and this excited at a ballgame in a long, long time...
Today was "Turn Back The Clock" day for the Sox, as we "re-live" the 1959 World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers. They have not been back to Comiskey Park since the World Series (OK, it's not the same Comiskey Park, and the new place is not even called Comiskey Park anymore...)
Before the game they introduced 10 players from the 1959 team (hardly any first-stringers - I don't think they're alive or ambulatory).
The Sox wore 1959-style uniforms. This is my favorite uniform of this team. (Yes, they've had 51 different uniforms since 1901). These were cream-colored pinstripes. The Sox logo in the chest actually was piped in red. So were the numbers. I remember having a Sox uniform when I was a kid. It was so cool. I remember wearing it one night to Comiskey to see a twi-night doubleheader (I think it was against the Athletics... the Kansas City Athletics).
So, the team tonight wore the bulky, wool uniforms, and showing respect for the uni, they all bloused their trousers so you could see their socks. Cool look.
During the game, all of the graphics on the scoreboard were done in the same colors and typeface of the programs and scorecards from 1959. Again, a good touch. They even played a song that was popular at that time (Let's Go Go Go White Sox! by Captain Stubby and the Buccaneers).
No matter what, I cannot do justice writing about what it was like to be at this game tonight.
First off, Freddie Garcia threw 40 pitches in the first inning. I hate seeing stuff like that.
We were losing 3-1 in the bottom of the 9th, 2 outs, with only 3 hits under our belt. We get 2 runs on a walk, some good baserunning and a few hits. The game is tied. Then, with a 3-2 count on him, A.J. Pierzynski homers and we win 5-3.
The place went up all 36,067 of them. The team went nuts. It was loud, It was electric. I can not describe the feeling and do it justice. I can't. It felt like a playoff... or even better. It was wild. People were actually singing that damn Let's Go Go Go White Sox song. Everyone is pumped.
Wow.
Electric.
(Boxscore)
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posted at 10:16 PM | Link | White Sox | 1 comment § |
Monday, June 13, 2005
Well, THAT'S over...
We would have been going to Game 6 of the Calder Cup Finals tonight.
Would have.
The Philadelphia Phantoms swept the Wolves, 4-games-to-0 last Friday, in front of 20,103 fans, the largest crowd in American Hockey League playoff history. Chicago (12-6) was swept for just the third time in its 11-year postseason history. The Wolves, who lost by more than one goal for the first time this postseason, managed just four goals in the four games, the fewest in a four-game playoff series in franchise history.
Sad, very sad. I mean, the Wolves had to be made of something to claw their way to the top of the West Conference, only to be handily swept in the finals. They were significantly outplayed. It was like there was a totally different team out there for the finals.
So, on the plus side, the Wolves have been in the playoffs every single year of their 11 year existence. They've been to the finals in 5 of those 11 (.450!) and have won 3 of them. That, my friends, is not a shabby performance for the franchise.
It was just shabby this series.
*sigh*
posted at 08:27 AM | Link | Wolves § |
Friday, June 10, 2005
Cubs-Red Sox SpinAll I've been hearing in the local media is this damn Cubs homestand against the Red Sox, and how they haven't met since the fateful 1918 World Series (a nice summary is at The SportingNews). Well, I'm taking solace in the fact that, yes, they haven't met since then, but the Red Sox have never played in Wrigley Field. Huh? Why? How? Well, during the 1918 World Series, the Cubs management decided to play their home games some place that had more seating capacity - Comiskey Park!
Update: Cubs take the series 2-1, loosing the Sunday Night ESPN game 8-1.
posted at 08:41 AM | Link | Baseball § |
Sunday, June 05, 2005
White Sox 4 - Indians 6 (12 innings)
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Seems like every time I write about going to a baseball game, I'm complaining about the weather. Guess what? Yes, I'm complaining again. It's like I'm never satisfied. Today it's because it's sunny, upper 80's (normally, I wouldn't complain about that one iota) but excessive humidity. Oppressive humidity. The kind that sucks the breath, and yea, even the life out of you. My body doesn't tolerate this mix very well at all. Walking up the stairs to the concourse from our seats leaves me light-headed and weak-kneed. The high humidity - high temperature in front of a cold front coming through is stirring-up the atmosphere. Though it never really "rained" at the park, there were tornado warnings south of us.
We were hoping that Mark Buehrle would have one of his usual quick games. Yes, that would make everything right.
Wrong. He gave up 3 runs over 6 and a third. The game got real sluggish (maybe it was just me getting sluggish). Anyway, Tadahito Iguchi - after absolutely screwing-up a double play possibility in the 4th by touching 2nd and running-off the field, only to have made Out Number 2 and not 3 to end the inning - hit a 2-run homer in the 7th and tied the game. Considering the double-overtime last night, and the fact that Carol hasn't felt good since Thursday, and I was feeling funky from the heat, we left in the 8th. The game went 12 innings and we lost, thank you normally solid Dustin Hermanson, walking 2 and getting a throwing error to let the winning run in.
Hey - Frank Thomas FINALLY got productive with his first home run in the 10th. It didn't help - that just tied it up again (we were down one at the time).
We still left 11 on base.
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posted at 06:25 PM | Link | White Sox § |
Saturday, June 04, 2005
Wolves 1 - Phantoms 2 - (2OT)- CALDER CUP FINAL Game 2
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TWO OVERTIME PERIODS...
The First Period looked like Thursday night. Bad blood, dirty hits, no scoring. We scored first in the 2nd, but Philly scored 10 minutes later. Then, in the 3rd, the whole tempo changed. We stayed in their zone, we pressured them the entire time. I started feeling better about our chances. Then came the overtime... and it was much of the same. Hardly any penalties at all, the time flew. We outshot them 14 to 2, keeping up the pressure. Then came the 2nd overtime, and we lost 3:50 into the period.
Now we're down 0-2 going to Philadelphia.
I have this bad, sinking feeling that we've seen the last of hockey this season.
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posted at 10:38 PM | Link | Wolves § |
Thursday, June 02, 2005
Wolves 0 - Phantoms 1 - CALDER CUP FINAL Game 1
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When it comes to professional hockey this season, The Calder Cup becomes the most important trophy. Without the NHL, without the Stanley Cup, THIS series is the be-all and end-all of hockey this year.
And we're in it.
It was a WONDERFUL 1st period - high intensity, lots of shooting. The the 2nd period rolled around and some other team replaced the Wolves on the ice. They looked... rusty? Tired? Confused? Out played? Yes, all of the above.
Lots of chippy plays. Going to be intense. I don't like losing the first game. At home. In fact, I'm concerned.
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posted at 10:27 PM | Link | Wolves § |
Monday, May 30, 2005
White Sox 5 - Angels 4
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Today was actually a gorgeous day - sunny, not a cloud in the sky, temp s just under 70 degrees. Before the game, there was a video tribute to former White Sox shortstop Chico Carrasquel who died this past week. They played the Venezuelan National Anthem (which feels a lot longer than ours). The Great Lakes Naval Band played our National Anthem, and then Challenger - a bald eagle - flew into the stadium and landed on his handler who was standing on the pitching mound. It turns out, we saw challenger before the game just flying around the park. We thought it was a hawk at first, but it just didn't look right. It was bigger.
Today marked the return of Frank Thomas, who hasn't played since last July. He went 0-for-2 and got hurt - strained hip flexor. I didn't feel he was ready to come back - now I'm positive. He's not helping the team.
Mark Buerhle pitched a decent game, all the way into the 9th. Unfortunately, Damaso Marte came in, blew a save opportunity, blew the lead. I really didn't think we'd get out of it. But we did. And we NEEDED it.
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posted at 07:32 PM | Link | White Sox § |
Thursday, May 19, 2005
Wolves 4 - Moose 3 - Western Conference Final Game 1posted at 10:30 PM | Link | Wolves § |
Sunday, May 15, 2005
White Sox 2 - Orioles 6
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It was a cold, blustery day today, so it was another game in the Stadium Club.
The White Sox's streak of consecutive games led ended at 37. Now, granted, I had never heard of this stat before this season, but it was a cool one.
100 pitches for Jose Contreras, but he gets the loss and is 1-1 (great record, eh?).
Snakebit? I'll tell you how our mojo was going during the game:
Jay Gibbons hits a screamer right down the Right Field line. It never makes it to the wall - a SECURITY GUY picks up the ball. THE SECURITY GUY, not some drunk or out-of-touch fan, reaching over the rail. NO. It had to be THE GUY THAT STOPS THE OTHER PEOPLE FROM TOUCHING THE BALL OR GOING ON THE FIELD. Did HE get thrown out? Oh, no. He sat on his little stool - facing away from the plate - for the rest of the game.
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posted at 09:34 PM | Link | White Sox § |
Saturday, May 14, 2005
White Sox 6 - Orioles 9
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Well, I knew the Baltimore Orioles were going to be a good test to see how we're doing. They've got the second-best record in baseball, behind us.
We get 6 runs and that's not enough? Pitching, my friends. Pitching. The entire staff still isn't doing well. Freddie Garcia is now 3-3 - what the hell was he still doing in the game at 112 pitches? Giving up 7 earned runs with 2 homers, that's what. TOO LONG. You can't keep him in that long yet. I thought Ozzie was going to keep a tight rein on him?
Pretty windy tonight - gusts up to 31 mph, so it's a bit uncomfortable.
Actually went to customer service tonight to file a compliment, not a complaint. Why? We always purchase parking coupons with our season tickets. It's just easier and more convenient. I've always felt, though, by purchasing these coupons that you should get some sort of preferential treatment somehow. Like, maybe, and entire lot that is coupon only - no cash, and it would be right next to the park. Since it was going to be almost a sellout, we got to the park just a few minutes earlier than usual. We noticed that "our lot" (Lot E) was only half-full, but there were no cars pulling in. When we got to the gate, we found out what was going on - they were accepting coupons only! Yes! This is the way it should be!
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posted at 10:17 PM | Link | White Sox § |
Friday, May 13, 2005
Wolves 4 - Mighty Ducks 1 - West Division Final Game 5
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And we win the West Division on go on to the Western Conference Final!
It was a tense game. The energy was way up in the 1st, but we weren't getting anywhere. We were shooting and came up empty. Derek McKenzie had 3 shots on goal in about 5 seconds, all accurate, 1 going off the post and still nothing. The Ducks scored in the 2nd and it looked like we weren't going to get out of this. We finally tied it up 7 minutes into the third and the crowd went nuts. We get the game winner 3:47 left in the 3rd! THEN the crowd went nuttier. The Ducks pull their goalie to try to come back and the Wolves made sure they won with an empty-netter with 23 seconds left.
Then came something that felt embarrassing - the Ducks pulled their goalie again and we scored again with only 4 seconds left.
We didn't really need to do that. It almost felt like the Wolves just took the Duck's heads and shoved their noses in it with that last goal. It's almost like the Wolves woke up and just had to retaliate for not sweeping them earlier in the week. Really, really odd feeling.
Then again - why pull your goalie? Did you really think you can get back into the game?
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posted at 10:59 PM | Link | Wolves § |
Saturday, May 07, 2005
Wolves 2 - Mighty Ducks 1 - West Division Final Game 2
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Playoff hockey - ya gotta love it.
The teams were just going back and forth all night. Really chippy - lots of checks, lots of just poking and grabbing. No fights tonight, though. In fact, our buddy was only in the box once about 5 minutes into the first. Of course, he was causing hovoc on the ice.
We finally won the game with only 44 seconds left, when Krazy Karl Stewart gingerly tipped-in a pass from his knees. You would have thought it was the Cup finals with the way the crowd (6,017) went nuts.
There was a busload of Cincinnati fans that we only really heard once after they scored. The were actually shocked into silence with the game winning goal.
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posted at 11:10 PM | Link | Wolves § |
Sox Yard Sale
Time for my annual commute to the White Sox Yard Sale (formerly Garage Sale) at U.S. Cellular Field. Again, this year it was held in the Patio area while Family Day was held out on the field itself, where the outfield was covered with families running around playing catch. How cool it is to watch these families - dads and sons and daughters just playing catch in the outfield of a major league ballpark. It really is special. Sort of a weird passing of the torch, inspiring the young ones to get involved in baseball.
Anyway, there weren't many racks of game-worn jerseys this year - I think there was only 3 or 4. The "deals" in jerseys would be the most recently traded or released players - this year, that would be Carlos Lee and Jose Valentin - both players had at least half a dozen jerseys on the rack that went quickly. This year, I picked up a jacket for Carol (a gray "Away-Style" version) and one for me (the standard black "Home-Style" version). at $75 each, they were a steal. I can't find any ID in Carol's jacket, but I found a "46" in mine - I guess that would be Neal Cotts.
Good turnout. I don't know why people buy player's hats. Just don't want to wear something that sweaty. And bats? Most of them were cracked, but some were still in good shape. Had some catchers gear, too. Actually the best deal is the Media Guides from all of the MLB teams for 25 cents each.
Odd things? Bricks from old Comiskey, Parking Lot signs, and very worn On-Deck circles (pads).
posted at 11:13 AM | Link | White Sox § |
Wednesday, May 04, 2005
Wolves 5 - Mighty Ducks 2 - West Division Final Game 1
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We had a lot of discussions before the game - who would we prefer to meet this round: Milwaukee or Cincinnati? We've had problems with both teams during the season, but it's obvious to us that Milwaukee was folding, in more ways than one. Even though they had a very good start, they hadn't been playing well recently. There's also the many rumors going around that the team itself was going to fold - if we heard this correctly, ownership had changed hands a year or two due to a death, and the new owners (the children?) aren't interested in continuing. If true, it had to affect the team. If not true, it still may have affected them.
So, anyway, here we are facing the Cincinnati Mighty Ducks. The highlight to look forward to? Our buddy, Zenon Konopka. I still remember the first time we met him on the Utah Grizzlies, but it's nice seeing him with everybody else on Cincy. This meant that we had some fodder for our taunts.
And taunt we did, from the puck drop in the 1st. He was in the Penalty Box in the 2nd. He obviously remembers us. We have a tendency to ratchet-up the taunts when the player starts to act interact. Well, Zenon did and it was like we were getting to him. After his 2-minutes were up, as soon as he stepped onto the ice, we scored (OK, it was one second after his time was up). The entire place laid into him from then on. In the 3rd, while he was in the box for an Unsportsmanlike, we scored again. On the way out, he yelled to us that he was going to score one now. Never did. In fact, I think the coach sat him out a few lines at the end. Guess we did get to him.
Their first goalie - Ilya Bryzgalov gave up 3 goals and was replaced with our former goalie Freddie Cassivi 5 and ahlf minutes into the 2nd. Bryzgalov would drop really quick, and for some reason the 5-Hole would just open-up everytime he went down.
There was some pretty good fights - not big, but very intense. this could be a really dicey series.
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posted at 10:47 PM | Link | Wolves § |
Sunday, May 01, 2005
White Sox 8 - Tigers 0
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Jon Garland - first pitcher this year to 5 wins (5-0), second straight shutout (first time for a White Sox pitcher since Jack McDowell in 1991), 23 consecutive scoreless innings. WHO IS THIS GUY?
It was too cold to watch from our seats (47 degrees, winds 16mph), so we spent the game on the glass in the Stadium Club.
The team held a lead for the 25th straight game to begin the season, tying a Major League record set by the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1955. Oh, and in those 25 games, the Sox have had 12 batters hit by pitches (some of the batters still haven't returned to the lineup because of their injuries), 8 times in the last 9 games, 4 times in just the last 3 games. Wilfredo Ledezma (1-2) hit Paul Konerko in the third, so Jon Garland threw behind Rondell White's head in the forth, and both benches emptied, but nothing eventually happened.
Now, I have to tell you, I missed a few innings of the game. I went downstairs to grab a bottle of water and see how bad it was downstairs. I walked off the Stadium Club elevator and walked up to the doors to walk out onto the main stadium concourse. They are glass doors with a large "button" the width of the door and about 6 inches wide that you push like a crash-bar to open the door. Instead, I mashed the button...
... but my right index finger had found out that the plastic end cap that covers the end of this large "button" was missing, so my finger slid inside this thing just as I mashed it open...
After hitting the door with my head, sending my White Sox cap flying, I screamed in pain and pulled my finger out of the now open door mechanism. I was in excruciating pain... but there wasn't any blood. I had just slammed the finger tip pretty bad. So, instead of a quick trip for a bottle of water, I went to the First Aid station under the stands to get a bag of ice and just have it checked-out to make sure I didn't do anything really bad. The fingernail is all purple and is real sensitive to the touch, not helped at all by the bag of ice (except to keep down the swelling).
But, the boys won the game and are now 18-7, still the best record in all of baseball.
I don't know how long this will last, but I'm enjoying every minute of it while I can!
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posted at 05:35 PM | Link | White Sox | 1 comment § |
Saturday, April 30, 2005
White Sox 4 - Tigers 3
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We're back to seasonable weather, with the gametime temperature at 5 degrees. It's the first game where Carol got cold (me - not so much, but it wasn't pleasant). It was also "Motown Night", which, quite frankly, was a bust. I was expecting something like Elvis night, but it not even close.
The Sox had bee non a 3-game losing streak. Last night, against the same club, we left 16 runners on base! Tonight's start looked like it was going to be another of those nights. El Duque had thrown 49 pitches in the first 2 innings. I never thought that game was going to end at that point (it lasted 2:50). We struggled, did the whole "small ball" thing, and actually won another one-run game. LOB tonight: 6. 30,189 saw the game - better than the 18,313 last night that for some reason was headline news in the paper for lack of fans showing-up for the return to town of the first place team.
Guy I'm liking right now? Dustin Hermanson. Guy I'm not happy with right now? Jermaine Dye.
Fireworks? - standard.
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posted at 10:33 PM | Link | White Sox § |
Wednesday, April 27, 2005
That's more like I'm used to...A strong start, a blown lead, 2 hit batsmen, a battle back, let them in a bit, somebody that played shortstop who never played there in their career, and a loss, with 14 hits 3 errors.
Yeah, that's more like it...
posted at 06:55 AM | Link | White Sox § |
Tuesday, April 26, 2005
First time in how long?The White Sox are scaring me. Still on the best start ever - 16-4, 8 straight wins, they're 10-2 on the road, and they're on the West Coast which - historically - has killed us (Oakland won seven of nine against the White Sox last season). And last night was against Barry Zito and we still get a win. Not only that, our catcher (Chris Widger) - who played last season with the Camden Riversharks in the independent Atlantic League before he showed-up at spring training as a non-roster invitee - gets his first homerun in the majors since April 9, 2000!!! (A.J. Pierzynski was able to get the ball from the fan to give to Widger.)
posted at 07:06 AM | Link | White Sox § |
Sunday, April 24, 2005
Best start ever?This is getting pretty dam scary... The White Sox improved to 14-4, the best 18-game start to a season in their 104-year franchise history. Almost all of these games are against AL Central rivals.
I'm just happy having them win each series they're in.
posted at 08:03 AM | Link | White Sox § |
Thursday, April 21, 2005
Wolves 1 - Aeros 2 (Overtime) - West Division Semifinal Game 2
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Sucked.
The game sucked. The Wolves played tentatively and never appeared as aggressive as the other night. Carol said that "they looked scared". I don't think scared is the correct word, but they sure weren't playing with the same intensity. You could see it by the number of shots. They were always on the defense and just couldn't get it together.
Referee Wes McCauley called an extremely uneven game, which didn't help matters much. There was more than one occasion when I felt the McCauley had to call a penalty, because it was a bit too blatant to let it go, even tough there were other infractions that were close to be as blatant and he never even verbally warned the players. He was terrible. He was taking a beating from the fans who thought he wasn't calling anything, but quite a few hits were clean, though they looked bad. But if a playing just touched an opposer's stick, he would call a "holding the stick" without hesitation. He just wasn't consistent - made you wonder if he got a talking to before the game... a more cynical person would even question if money changed hands, that's how uneven the calls were.
Don't get me wrong - the players lost the game, but score an assist to McCauley.
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posted at 10:14 PM | Link | Wolves § |
Tuesday, April 19, 2005
Wolves 4 - Aeros 1 - West Division Semifinal Game 1
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We're at the wonderful time of the year is sports in Chicago that is the most embarrassing.
Chicago is not known as a Championship town - EXCEPT for this team, the Chicago Wolves. This is only the 11th season that the team has been in existence, and this is the 11th straight post-season appearances for the team. Not very many teams anywhere can say that they have NEVER missed the post-season. In those prior 10 seasons, the Wolves have won the league championship (IHL - Turner Cup, AHL - Calder Cup) three times.
You would think that in a town that has had a drought of championships in baseball, football, most recently basketball, and even professional hockey, that people would be clamoring to get tickets for playoff games.
Tonight's attendance: 2,411
The sorry thing is - that's pretty much average for a weekday playoff game for the Wolves. We've been at games that the attendance was half that. I don't get it.
Anyway, good, hard fought game that referee Scott Hoberg let get way out of control, winding up with mêlée's throughout the third peroid.
This could be a big mess going forward.
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posted at 10:30 PM | Link | Wolves § |
Sunday, April 17, 2005
White Sox 4 - Mariners 5
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One of the best promotional days around in all of baseball - Dog Day!
After so many years, we've got somebody we know in the parade! It's Janie & Gary with their Dalmatian (mix) Tallie. Janie made an outfit for her - except it was camouflaged! It was a spotted hide material with a big Sox logo on the back, but the black & white spots really blended-in well. The parade was really long again - the dogs were still on the field during the National Anthem.
And what a gorgeous day - 74 degrees at gametime, just a slight breeze. Sunny. This is April baseball in Chicago?????
Forget about the game itself. We didn't get a sweep, which I think is just asking way too much from a team at this point in the season. In fact, why do we need sweeps? (OK, sweeps other than the Cubs?) If you continually win each series, who needs a sweep?
Anyway - Freddy Garcia is 9-0 in day games. Not any more. But, you know, the team was never out of it - one of the best aspects of the team this year. They never quit. But then again, it's "early".
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posted at 05:55 PM | Link | White Sox § |
Saturday, April 16, 2005
Wolves 5 - Grizzlies 1 - Final Game of the Regular Season
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AHL WEST DIVISION CHAMPIONS
The regular season is over. Playoffs start Tuesday. 15,277 people packed the place so damn tight it was hard to move around. Then again, it was a Fan Appreciation day and the Dog Adoption day, and Shirt of Their Back day... too many damn things scheduled at once. To top it off, hardly any of our extended family was there, so it felt odd ending the season with hardly any of our friends.
It's a long day - baseball in the afternoon, hockey at night...
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posted at 10:39 PM | Link | Wolves § |
White Sox 2 - Mariners 1
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99 MINUTES
That was the length on today's game!
Mark Buehrle pitched a complete game (his 16th in his career), giving up only 3 hits (and one run) with 12 strikeouts. I know people thought the game was boring, but damn it was quick and and there was some great pitching. Paul Konerko had two homeruns and now leads the league with 6. (This could become a problem, though - he's 5-for-29 in his last at-bats, with all five hits coming on home runs.)
It was our first game back with our season tickets. Everybody was back in their places - except us who moved-up 2 rows. Victor & Michelle and Chloe were back with a surprise - Michelle is pregnant! (due in October).
I guess E.R. was shooting in town again - because Noah Wyle threw out the first pitch!
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posted at 05:53 PM | Link | White Sox § |
Monday, April 04, 2005
OPENING DAY - White Sox 1 - Indians 0
YES!!!! It's Opening Day!!!! All is right with the world!!!
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There's always great anticipation going to the park for the first time in a season, especially TPFKAC™, now known As U.S.Cellular Field.
Outside, the parking lots are jammed with people tailgating before the gates open. Near the gates, there are bands playing. A great festive atmosphere. Inside the park, it still has that same familiar feel, but things are changing. The biggest noticeable change is the huge multistory Fundamentals kids training facility in left field. Unfortunately, I couldn't go in to check it out - an adult needs to be escorted by a kid! Now, I don't have a kid to bring to the place, but I'm all for the rule - it'll help keep the rowdy drunks out of there during a game and spoiling it for the kids.
The next change is the new seating area behind the plate called "Scout Seats" (sponsored by United). These are large upholstered seats with small side tables that cost at least $190 for the privilege to sit in. I wrote about this last year. The area looks gorgeous. Around the Scout Seats, where they had to pour new concrete for the area, they replaced some of the old "pool blue" seats with brand new green seats. YESSSSSS!!!!!! The park is turning green!!!! But, it was a clear case of "be careful of what you wish for..." as I decided to sit one for a test drive... they're narrower! Bastards! There's another small problem around the Scout Seats - the new concrete has stairs of differing heights, which is going to make for some bad navigating by drunken fans. Anyway, the entire Club level has the new green seats, this patchy area around the Scout Seats, and they replaced the bleachers in left-center with green bleachers.
The Weather - for the season opener being at home for the first time in a long time - was really quite pleasant - sunny and 64 degrees. Our seats were in the 10th row, way down the 1st base line. In fact, we were sitting one section closer to the plate than when we first go our season tickets almost 10 years ago. We've only moved 6 sections, but there's a big difference in visibility.
The game itself was a bit boring, if you mean a pitcher duel as both teams only had 2 hits each up until the 7th. Mark Buehrle pitched a good game - and quick, as usual: 1:51. The attendance was a sell-out - 38,141 - but I really don't have a clue any more on what capacity is for this place (they've made so many seating changes to it, it's hard to tell... I'm going to have to look it up in the Media Guide. The only other problem: anarchy in the men's rest rooms. Lines for the women's rest rooms? Non-existent. The men's? Long. Brutal. People giving up and going in the exit door, screwing it up for the rest of us. Bring back the trough!
After the game we had dinner at Janie & Gary's condo.
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posted at 09:08 PM | Link | White Sox § |
Saturday, March 19, 2005
Wolves 3 - Griffins 4
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Nah, not going to happen tonight. The place is packed - 15,342 - and the fans are into it, but something's wrong with the boys. They got outplayed at a time when they didn't need a bad showing.
Four unanswered goals. I think that just about summarizes it. Oh, and we outshot them 45-27. Not our night.
The St. Patrick's Jersey auction ended tonight - looks like all of the jerseys went for about $1,100 to $1,800 each - with a few over that. How can a "normal, everyday average fan" supposed to partake in this?
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posted at 10:42 PM | Link | Wolves § |
Wednesday, March 16, 2005
Wolves 3 - Roadrunners 2 (Shootout)
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the Wolves had on their green St. Patrick's Day jerseys - that are sure to be the annual hot item in the silent auction as usual after Saturday's game. It was really frustrating to watch tonight. Edmonton's goaltender - Mike Morrison - was all over the damn place. Anytime a shot was taken, he'd commit early, go down early, get drawn out, get drawn to the side - and we had NOBODY camped-out in front to get it past him. Unbelievable - you should have SEEN the holes we saw! it just led to another see-saw night that made us look like we were struggling. Hell, we tied the game with 21 seconds to play!
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posted at 10:40 PM | Link | Wolves § |
Monday, March 14, 2005
Getting closer...Watched baseball over the weekend. Watched baseball. Comcast is broadcasting 20 pre-season games! No one's done that around here before... and it just gets you cranked-up for next month when the season actually starts... Oh, and the Sox beat the Cubs this afternoon, and things feel better than I thought...
posted at 04:51 PM | Link | White Sox § |
Saturday, March 12, 2005
Wolves 1 - Moose 0posted at 10:53 PM | Link | Wolves § |
Wednesday, March 09, 2005
11 days until Spring...... and not only that, my life had started again during my "blogging hiatus". Yes, baseball spring training had started last week. I have a small radio that I take to the hockey and baseball games that I keep in my backpack, so I'm lucky to hear a game being broadcast over ESPN 1000 (even though the interference from all of the damn electronics around here - depending on where you sit/stand - isn't all that bad). What's even better, though I haven't seen one yet, is that Comcast Sports is actually broadcasting 20 pre-season games. I can't wait to sit down and watch.
And you know what came in the mail yesterday? Yes! Our Season Tickets. We were shocked to find out that our seats moved! Our ticket rep moved us up 2 rows from 16 to 14, and we're still in seats 1 & 2. Up side: closer to the field. Down side: we've moved away from Victor! Damn!
We got our Stadium Club passes a week ago - we are splitting the cost this year with our pals Janie & Gary. We'll finally have a place to go (again) when the weather turns crappy at the beginning of the season.
It's too bad that I'm not feeling all that good about the team this year, and so far this spring isn't helping matters.
posted at 12:18 PM | Link | White Sox § |
Wednesday, February 16, 2005
Ahhhhhh... it's begining...PITCHERS AND CATCHERS REPORT TODAY!!!!!!!
Yes!!!! Baseball has cranked-up and my life somehow feels more complete just knowing that I can watch preseason baseball on TV in just 19 days...
Now, if Jose Canseco could just take his book and disappear...
...sort of like the NHL - which officially canceled the entire season today.
posted at 06:25 AM | Link | Baseball § |
Saturday, February 12, 2005
Wolves 4 - Aeros 5 (Shootout)
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Same ref - different game.
Jeff Smith called the game again today and just like yesterday, he let the teams play and kept he calls down. Except, he sure didn't do the right thing in the 3rd period.
The energy isn't the same as yesterday, but they crowd is one of the largest of the season - 14,912.
The Wolves were up 3-0 in the 3rd when the Aeros had 2 goals within 7 seconds of each other against. Michael Garnett was in goal again, and everybody looked a bit shook-up. The teams combined for six second-period goals, including five in a span of 4:39. I guess that's enough to shake-up everybody. (One of these goals was by Steve Maltais - it was his 450th regular season goal as a member of the Chicago Wolves.)
It got REAL UGLY in the 3rd.
Houston's Mark Cullen scored a goal at 9:54 in the 3rd, tyeing the game 4-4. It shouldn't have counted. As he shot, Michael Garnett opened up and reached to glove-it with his left hand. At the same time, Kirby Law charges the net off-balance and - with his skate blade - hits Garnett in the face, popping-off his helmet and slashing him in the mouth. It happened so fast, all anybody saw was the helmet flying and Garnett flying face-first onto the ice. He laid there and everybody thought he was just pissed at himself for missing the shot. The TV cameras had a closeup of him on the ice, when all of a sudden you see blood flowing out his mouth onto the ice. The place went crazy. Jeff Smith finally calls a penalty against Law - a 5 minute major for Charging (which, somehow, also got spun-up to a Game Misconduct) - but ALLOWS THE GOAL. Kari Lehtonen had to step-in and finish the game for Garnett. I still haven't heard what happened to him.
So, it's tied after Regulation.
Another Overtime period. Still tied.
Another Shootout. Still tied.
Sudden Death Shootout.
It takes 5 rounds and we lose.
Damn. Very unsatisfying.
(Boxscore - Gamesheet) « hide the extended part of this entry
posted at 11:44 PM | Link | Wolves § |
Friday, February 11, 2005
Wolves 5 - Admirals 4 (Shootout)
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Back at the Allstate Arena for some more hockey.
The game started with a moment of silence for Tim Breslin, a former player with the Wolves, who died from a form of cancer I had NEVER heard of: he died last Wednesday night due to complications from appendiceal cancer - yes, a malignancy of the appendix. He was diagnosed in late November of 2004. He was a local guy and fan favorite. Everybody knew him. So, it was a sad beginning of the night.
But, OH WHAT A GAME!
Milwaukee has been a major problem for us this year, but tonight something was different. The energy was up for both teams. It was like watching a post-season game! The intensity was great, a lot of up and down play, hard hitting...
The referee - Jeff Smith - wasn't calling anything. Which you would think is bad, but the key is he was consistent, and that's all you can ask for in a ref. The crowd was really going after him when he wouldn't call something but you could see that he just wasn't calling anything.
Well, until the 3rd. With only 44 seconds left and the game tied 4-4, he called Brad Larsen for interference. It was a controversial call, because the ref actually DIDN'T call it - one of the linesmen did (I think it was Jay Jacobs). Linesmen can't call a penalty unless it's a major. In this case, there was a "skirmish" between former Wolf Simon Gamache and Steve Maltais right between the two benches as they were leaving the ice. Brad Larsen was on the bench and grabbed Simon Gamache. So, it turns out that this is another case that a linesman can actually call a penalty.
We made it though the 3rd, but that also meant it was 4-on-3 for 1:16 into the 5-minute overtime period.
Turns out that the Wolves survive that and overtime ends in a tie. It's been a couple of years since we saw a Shootout (due to rule changes), but that's what we were headed for. The Wolves outscore Milwaukee 2-1 in the shootout and WIN.
Michael Garnett was in goal tonight because Kari Lehtonen has had strep. Garnett has been in net for the 2 Shootout Wins the Wolves have had this year.
Pretty damn exciting and the best game we have seen in a long, long time.
(Boxscore - Gamesheet)
« hide the extended part of this entry
posted at 11:43 PM | Link | Wolves § |
Friday, February 04, 2005
Wolves - Barons
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Oh, God, this was painful.
Cleveland is 6 games under .500. We should have rolled-over them. Instead, what we're against is a team with no veterans and 10 rookies on the roster. So what? These guys were fast. No great, just fast. Oh, and they shoot. US? Well, think S-L-O-W and passing a lot, and not well, mind you. there was absolutely nothing good that came out of this.
(Boxscore - Gamesheet) « hide the extended part of this entry
posted at 10:51 PM | Link | Wolves § |
Sunday, January 30, 2005
New Ice
The Hoffman Estates Park District Community Center Ice Arenas had their official ribbon cutting ceremony today. Carol and I went over there to check it out. It was important to us because: 1) it's literally just blocks away from our house (but it's not THAT close to walk it), and 2) it is the official practice facility for the Chicago Wolves!
The facility actually opened-up in November, but the Wolves offices, training areas and locker room weren't ready yet.
The place is gorgeous with two full-size rinks. It was packed - there was a time when both rinks were open to open skate and they ran out of rental skates. There were Wolves players available for autographs and out on the ice skating with the guests. The concession stand was in full swing.
I was able to see the actual ribbon-cutting ceremony with the Park District people, the mayor, and the Wolves executives.
posted at 05:14 PM | Link | Wolves § |
Wednesday, January 19, 2005
Wolves 3 - Hamilton 6
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Crazy, crazy game.
Almost 9 minutes into the game, Hamilton scores two goals within 19 seconds. 25 seconds later, the Wolves wake up and score, then score a minute later and score two minutes after that. Steve Maltais got his 600th goal of his professional career - he's only one away from scoring 450 just for the Wolves.
9:48 into the second, a Bulldog player, while attempting to score, apparently got too close to goalie Kari Lehtonen, and Kari popped him. This led to a mêlée in front of the net, leading to 9 penalties. The Wolves - because they are on a 4-minute power-kill, only get 5 shots in the 2nd. In the 3rd, the Wolves don't get a shot off for at least half the period. The Bulldogs tie it, go up by one, and then get two empty net goals, while the Wolves only manage 5 shots.
Things happened so quickly that you couldn't look away or even blink.
Things sucked. What's with our shooting? How can you win if you don't shoot? (We're out-shot 37-20).
(Boxscore - Gamesheet) « hide the extended part of this entry
posted at 10:43 PM | Link | Wolves § |
Monday, January 17, 2005
No partyTonight is the Chicago Wolves Season Ticket Holder Party at Gameworks in Schaumburg. In fact, it's in a few minutes.
Not motivated enough to go - last year was too crowded, didn't get any food until the end of the evening, really difficult to see the players.
Too fatigued. Gonna stay home.
posted at 06:23 PM | Link | Wolves § |
Saturday, January 15, 2005
Wolves 4 - Maple Leafs 1
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Only our second game we attended since October 30th! Most of it was scheduling, and then we had to miss a few games due to other commitments (oh, like being in Las Vegas for a week - we missed 3 games just because of that).
Since we've been gone (December 12 was the last time we were here), the rear-screen projection systems in the scoreboard over center ice were replaced with matrix boards. Since the lighting was changed in here, you couldn't see anything on the video boards. Now, it's very bright - though the resolution sucks a bit. Hey, it's the minor league - can't afford to get the real good stuff.
This week the Wolves were wearing special Armed Forces jerseys that are being sold at silent auction today. (I actually bid on one... last time I looked the jersey was up to $1,200 - waaaaayyyy out of my financial reach.) When I heard about this, I thought the jerseys would be in the olive-green cammo, but they were in the beige cammo and it actually looked better (perhaps the green would be too close to the annual St. Patrick's jersey auction coming up in March).
It was good to see the boys playing pretty well. Being tied for First Place in the division is a good thing.
I just wish that when they're on a power play that they'd stop this god-awful passing drill and just shoot the damn puck!
(Boxscore - Gamesheet) « hide the extended part of this entry
posted at 10:21 PM | Link | Wolves § |
Wednesday, December 22, 2004
Green
I've got an early Christmas present! It's something I've wanted for years. I thought I would never get it, because it costs an awful lot of money and the person in charge doesn't like to spend the money.
I've always wanted a green Comiskey Park. Since it opened in 1991, I've HATED those damn blue seats. It's just another thing that made the place... uninviting for baseball. Now, slowly, over the past couple of years I've seen it - the slow change. When the scoreboard was rebuilt, the facing was changed from blue to green. Some signage around the park changed from blue to green. The padding on the walls around the field changed from blue to green.
And now, they've started replacing over 40,000 seats! YESSSS!!!!! No more swimming pool blue - we'll be sitting on forest green seats, like a real ball park of old.
Unfortunately, they're being phased-in, with the lower deck (where we sit) being last.
But at least it's being done!
read more of this entry »
12/21/2004 12:41 PM ET
U.S. Cellular Field goes green
CHICAGO -- New green seats will be installed at U.S. Cellular Field over the next calendar year, changing the color of the 14-year-old ballpark's seating area from blue to forest green, the Illinois Sports Facilities Authority (ISFA) and the Chicago White Sox jointly announced today.
The installation of new seats takes place in addition to Phase V renovations currently underway. Those changes include a multilevel interactive FUNdamentals skills deck in left field and a Scout Seating area located behind home plate.
"Opening Day 2005 marks the fifth year of ballpark renovations. Each year, our goal has been to make U.S. Cellular Field an even better place to watch White Sox baseball," said Terry Savarise, White Sox senior vice president of stadium operations. "All of our upgrades, from adding seating closer to the action to the re-design of the upper deck, have been in response to feedback from our fans, and each has improved the feeling of intimacy in the ballpark. Now, ISFA has been able to work with us to change the color of the ballpark's seats to forest green."
New green seats first will be installed in the Club Level, Scout Seats and bleachers before Opening Day 2005. The remaining seats, beginning with the upper deck, will be replaced as weather allows during the 2005 season and 2005-2006 offseason. Full installation is scheduled to be completed by Opening Day 2006. Aisle seats in each row will feature one of the club's historical logos.
"We think it will be a unique experience for fans to witness the transformation throughout the season," said Dan Polvere, director of development and facilities for ISFA. "The gradual replacement of the seats coincides with scheduled expansion joint maintenance for the ballpark. Since the upper deck was caulked last season, ISFA can replace those seats, section by section, during the season. The last phase will be to caulk and replace seating in the lower level as time and weather allow."
U.S. Cellular Field's current seats were installed when the ballpark opened in 1991. Exposure to Chicago's harsh weather contributed to the need for their replacement.
White Sox 2005 ticket packages now are available, including the 9-game Minnie Plan and the 13-game Ozzie Plan. Individual-game tickets will go on sale Friday, Jan. 14, 2005 at 10:00 a.m. « hide the extended part of this entry
posted at 09:45 PM | Link | White Sox § |
Saturday, December 04, 2004
Wolves 2 - Admirals 3
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This is the first game we've been to in over a month. On top of that, due to other conflicts, we're going to miss about 4 more games over the next month and a half. Everyone around us kept asking where we've been.
It's nice to be missed.
The team has been playing much better lately. They're not giving up and quite a few games go into overtime.
Tonight - well, it was a bit lackluster. We had the lead at one point 2-1 but just couldn't get a break.
The referee was called "controversial" by play-by-play man Judd Sirrot. It was Harry Dumas and apparently during the playoff last year, he called 19 (or was it 16?) power play penalties against the Wolves during one game. Gee - it was against Milwaukee, too.
Then again, we saw him back in 2002 and he was calling a lot of penalties, too - against the Houston Aeros.
Nice crowd - 10,718. I just couldn't get into the game, though. Don't know why. The loss felt pretty disappointnig, too.
(Boxscore - Gamesheet) « hide the extended part of this entry
posted at 10:08 PM | Link | Wolves § |
Friday, November 19, 2004
Mêlée in DetroitHoly crap - I don't think I've ever seen something get out of hand this badly. There'to be arrests after all of this. I have never seen something this scary at a sporting event in my life. I have no idea how somebody didn't get themselves seriously injured in all of this - and considering that 1) it was an NBA game and 2) it was in Detroit, I'm surprised somebody didn't smuggle in a weapon and killed somebody.
What am I talking about?
Pacers 97, Pistons 82, 45.9 seconds left in the game.
It all started when Detroit's Ben Wallace went in for a layup
and was fouled hard by Artest from behind.Wallace wheeled around and pushed Artest in the face. The benches emptied and punches were thrown.As the players continued shoving each other near center court and coaches tried to restore order, Artest sprawled out on his back on the scorer's table, looking relaxed.Just when it appeared tempers had died down, Artest was struck by a full cup thrown from the stands. He jumped up, and charged into the stands, throwing punches as he climbed over seats.Fans were punching back, and Jackson and another teammate joined Artest in the mêlée. As the crowd roared, drinks and debris showered the court and the Pacers players covered their heads as they hustled through the runway leading to the locker room.A man in a Pistons jersey approached Artest on the court with fists raised, shouting at him. Artest punched him in the face, knocking the man to the floor before leaving the court. Artest was pulled away, and the fan charged back. O'Neal stepped in and punched the man.
And this was much worse than the description.
I haven't followed the NBA in years. I've felt that the NBA is just turning into a bunch of thugs.
I'm not buying any "self defense" pleas here - it just reinforced my feelings.
A bunch of thugs.
Update: NBA Commissioner David Stern announced suspensions: Pacers forward Ron Artest has been suspended for the remainder of the season.
Indiana guard Stephen Jackson has been suspended for 30 games.
Pacers forward Jermaine O’Neal has been suspended for 25 games.
Indiana guard Anthony Johnson has been suspended for five games.
Detroit forward/center Ben Wallace has been suspended for six games.
Pistons forwards Elden Campbell and Derrick Coleman and guard Chauncey Billups have each been suspended for one game for leaving the bench during an on-court altercation.
Indiana guard Reggie Miller has been suspended for one game for leaving the bench during an on-court altercation.
posted at 10:22 PM | Link | Sports § |
Sunday, November 14, 2004
DefenseHow long can the Bears keep winning when the only points being scored are from the defense???
posted at 03:53 PM | Link | Bears § |
Saturday, October 30, 2004
Wolves 1 - Mighty Ducks 4
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I was watching the warmups, paying attention to the Cincinnati team and realized that there was a whole bunch of "protaganists" on that team this year.
First we have our own Kurtis Foster who was with the Wolves for the last 3 seasons and set a record for the fastest slapshot during an AHL All-Star Game (101 mph!). Now, he left because of a trade. The person I was surprised to see was Goaltender Frederic Cassivi who was also with the Wolves for 3 years. I have no idea how he got there. Then we had our regular protaganist Sheldon Brookbank, and the player with one of our favorite names - Cory Pecker. The absolute surprise for us was former Utah Grizzly Zenon Konopka! Ah yes, who could forget that game last season...
The Ducks score first, only 45 seconds into the game. It was all downhill from there. It's the typical early-season don't know how to play together issues. That, and we aren't shooting. Oh, and Kari Lehtonen not seeing some shots.
Hell of a lot of penalties, thanks to Referee Justin St. Pierre. Yes, most were good calls, but he did have a bunch of questionables.
(Boxscore - Gamesheet) « hide the extended part of this entry
posted at 10:44 PM | Link | Wolves § |
Wednesday, October 27, 2004
I think it's safe to say The Curse is broken
Congrats to the Boston Red Sox for sweeping the St. Louis Cardinals in the World Series!
I think it's safe to say that you have broken the Curse of the Bambino!
Did I just see Jimmy Fallon and Rachel Dratch on the field after the game?
posted at 10:56 PM | Link | Baseball § |
Saturday, October 23, 2004
Wolves 3 - Admirals 2 (Overtime)
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7,194 is more like it for attendance on a Saturday Night. The team is - boring. A lot of up and down, nothing flashy, nothing strong.
It was boring.
The only saving grace was taunting the Admiral's Simon Gamache, who used to be on the Wolves and knew exactly what to expect from us when he went into the Penalty Box.
It looked like we were going to lose 2-1 when Travis Roche scored with 1.7 seconds left in the game, and then won it it overtime with another goal.
We were all shocked and screaming at the top of our lungs that we were able to do this!
(Boxscore - Gamesheet) « hide the extended part of this entry
posted at 10:16 PM | Link | Wolves § |
Wednesday, October 20, 2004
YES!
Congratulations, BOSTON! You made me watch your games because of the way you played and it was an honor to watch! You did something no one in Baseball (and it turns out - no one in Basketball, either) to come back 0-3 to win 4-3. A tip of the hat to you!
posted at 11:18 PM | Link | Baseball § |
Wolves 5 - Aeros 4 (Overtime)
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Well, I knew it was going to be an odd night as soon as we walked into the Allstate Arena. As we walked down the stairs to our seats, I said to Carol, "Hey, they've got new uniforms." (referring to Houston). Caro looked up and ... fell down the stairs, It was all in slow motion and I've seen this a hundred times before - she has bad ankles, so seeing her rolling down the stairs just wasn't surprising to me. It WAS surprising to everyone else around us, so a lot of people came running, Carol was and is fine - her ankle hurts a bit and her knee where she hit the concrete, but she's fine.
Who didn't look fine was our goaltender Kari Lehtonen. He just isn't seeing the puck well. Who scored our first two goals? Steve Maltais, which means that as of the first 15 minutes of this game, Maltais scored the only goals (5) for this team this season.
The crowd was back down to what would be normal for a Wednesday night - 3,428. None of us seemed to know how the game was going to end. Kari was called for throwing his stick at the puck (which the replays showed he didn't) which game Houston a Penalty Shot that they scored on. It ended by Cory Larose breaking the 4-4 tie in overtime.
It looks like the standard "don't know what the team is doing at the beginning of the season" time.
(Boxscore - Gamesheet) « hide the extended part of this entry
posted at 10:11 PM | Link | Wolves § |
Tuesday, October 19, 2004
Now, THAT's baseball!
My baseball season may be over, but man are these great games to watch! OK, yes, they're epic, but, damn, the play and the twists and turns just suck me in to watch, which I haven't done in years!
posted at 11:06 PM | Link | Baseball § |
Saturday, October 16, 2004
Wolves 1 - Griffins 5
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Oh, God this was painful.
Home Opener for the Chicago Wolves. It was nice seeing all of our Hockey Buddies again. Other than the changes on the ice for new rules (red lines behind the nets showing areas that the goalies are restricted from entering and the huge 24" blue lines), the only other changes to the Allstate Arena are new matrix boards and new (brighter) lighting.
14,877 were there for the Home Opener. We kind of expected that due to the normal draw the Wolves have plus the NHL fans that don't have any hockey to watch, along with the people that took-up the Wolves offers for Season Tickets based on the lockout actually happening.
We looked bad out there. Who looked the worse? Our phenom goalie Kari Lehtonen who gave up 4 goals on 22 shots. He significantly misplayed at least one if not two of the goals and I don't think he saw they others at all. Not like him.
We lost up on Milwaukee last night 4-2. The man who had the two goals up there and our only goal tonight was Steve Maltais. Pathetic - were was everybody else? Oh, and we out-shot the Griffins 47-29. We have never opened the season 0-2.
Not a good start.
Got under the skin of at least one Griffin player - Darryl Bootland - who not only reacted to our taunts, but also flipped us off from the Penalty Box. Sweet.
(Boxscore - Gamesheet) « hide the extended part of this entry
posted at 10:39 PM | Link | Wolves § |
Thursday, October 14, 2004
No hockey? What about simulated hockey?So G4TECHTV (that crappy Comcast-owned network that took my beloved TechTV a stripped it clean of it's gadgetry and tech coolness) is simulating the entire NHL season and broadcasting the results in a 3-minute highlight show nightly.
I don't know how I feel about this.
posted at 10:11 PM | Link | Hockey § |
Wednesday, October 13, 2004
Opening night?It's Opening Night in the NHL tonight. Or it was supposed to be. No Opening Night. Then again, there hasn't been any training camps or any exhibition games either. The owners have locked-out the players in a labor dispute.
The NHLPA made its first proposal in 15 months to NHL negotiators Sept. 9 in Toronto. it was immediately rejected and there hasn't been any movement since, and there's been rumors of the entire NHL season being lost.
All I know is that it probably means more people going to the Wolves games that we have to deal with. Our opening night is this Saturday!
posted at 08:39 PM | Link | Hockey § |
Thursday, October 07, 2004
Wolves 2 - Griffins 1 - Preseason
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Carol and I went to a Chicago Wolves preseason game at a local ice rink. It was nice seeing the ol' boys again. Somehow, this year it seems easier for me to make the transition from watching baseball to watching hockey. I was happy to see Kari Lehtonen with us again, even though I'm sure it's because of the lockout so that he can get more time in the net. We've got a few really tall guys this year, like rookie Lane Manson who is listed as 6' 9", along with Brian Sipotz who is listed as 6' 7". Hopefully, they will stay with the team and contribute. That's the problem with preseason - you just don't know who you've got on the team and you try not to get too attached to them because they could be gone in a week. Speaking of a week, opening night is a week from this Saturday. They better work on the Power Play before then...
(Boxscore - Gamesheet) « hide the extended part of this entry
posted at 10:47 PM | Link | Wolves § |
Sunday, October 03, 2004
Season OverWell, the baseball season is officially over for me. I mention this every year because this is the official time when I slip into a funk until pitchers and catchers report to camp next year. My team - the Chicago White Sox - finished 83-79, 2nd in their division 9 games behind the Twins and out of the Wild Card race by 15 games. To be blunt, they had been out for at least a month and realistically even longer than that. We had the first half of the season and just crumbled in the second half. Everyone did - offense, pitching, even defense. But still, it was a good year.
Baseball is life and mine is in suspension until next year.
*sigh*
read more of this entry »
Injuries to Ordonez, Thomas cost White Sox big NANCY ARMOUR Associated Press
CHICAGO - When Torii Hunter leveled catcher Jamie Burke with a shoulder block at the plate the last week of July, it appeared to be the final, crushing blow to the Chicago White Sox's playoff chances.
But really, Chicago's season had ended weeks earlier, when Frank Thomas and Magglio Ordonez went down with what would be season-ending injuries.
"We had some key injuries, it hurt us big," right-hander Jon Garland said. "But we can't say that's the cause of why we lost. We still had to go out and play baseball, and there were times when we didn't do it."
The White Sox ended the year 83-79, the fifth straight season they finished .500 or better. But that's three games less than they won last year, a finish that cost Jerry Manuel his job. Worse, it left Chicago nine games behind scrappy Minnesota in the AL Central, a bitter disappointment for a team many picked to win the division coming out of spring training.
The White Sox led the division as late as July 24 but lost 11 of their next 13 - including a three-game sweep by the Twins - to plummet out of the race.
"When your goal is to win the division and you don't win it, then there is no silver lining," Paul Konerko said. "That's the way I look at it."
The White Sox do have things to build on. New manager Ozzie Guillen's enthusiasm was infectious, and players and fans alike responded to it. Konerko rebounded from his slump last season to hit career-highs with 41 homers and 117 RBIs. Carlos Lee hit .305 with 31 homers and 99 RBIs, and showed he can be equally dangerous defensively, finishing as the only qualifying outfielder in the major leagues to have a perfect fielding percentage.
Center fielder Aaron Rowand made the most of getting the chance to play every day, hitting .310 with 69 RBIs. And Juan Uribe emerged as a pleasant surprise, showing the consistency he'd lacked in Colorado by hitting .283 and driving in 74 runs.
But without Thomas and Ordonez, the White Sox had little chance of winning their division. Ordonez was hitting .311 with eight homers and 34 RBIs when he had surgery June 5 to repair torn cartilage in his left knee. He came back July 8, but played in only 10 games before a fluid problem forced him back on the disabled list.
Thomas was hitting .271 with 18 homers and 49 RBIs, and leading the American League with 64 walks and a .434 on-base percentage, when he went on the disabled list July 10 with a stress fracture in his ankle.
"When you see Aaron Rowand coming up and then you get Carlos Lee, Paul Konerko, Magglio Ordonez, Frank Thomas - that sits in the back of your mind," Garland said. "I don't care if they're not hitting the ball well, that still sits in the back of your mind. You might not want to fall behind a guy, you might not want to go around a guy to get to somebody else."
"But things happen," Garland added. "That's just the way the game goes."
While Thomas has promised to be back next year, there's no guarantee about Ordonez. He's a free agent this offseason, and contract talks broke off earlier this year with the two sides believed to be far apart. Ordonez made $14 million this year and was looking for a deal similar to the $70 million, five-year contract Vladimir Guerrero got from Anaheim last winter.
The White Sox also have to shore up their pitching. Mark Buehrle was his usual solid self, and Freddy Garcia was 8-4 after being acquired from Seattle. After them, though, the rotation is somewhat shaky.
They traded 21-game winner Esteban Loaiza to the Yankees, getting Jose Contreras in return. Contreras flirted with a no-hitter Sunday, but it was his first win since Aug. 28. Garland finally had his first winning season in the majors, but he was 12-11 with a 4.89 ERA. As for the fifth starter, the White Sox have tried several options with limited success.
The bullpen needs work, too. Shingo Takatsu showed he can close games in the United States as well as Japan, converting 19 of 20 saves. But the White Sox could use another setup man.
"I don't think I'll be able to watch a full playoff game," third baseman Joe Crede said. "It drives me up a wall thinking we should be out there. But it makes you want to get the next season started. It makes you hunger for it more the next year." « hide the extended part of this entry
posted at 03:44 PM | Link | White Sox § |
Sunday, September 26, 2004
White Sox 5 - Royals 1 - Final Home Game
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The last visit of the year to "The Cell". I always hate this game - no matter the outcome. This game signifies the end of the season for me. Most people would think of the last game of the season, or the last game of the World Series, but to me - this is the game. Why? There are no more games for me to go to. Everything else will happen away from Chicago. Oh, then there's the realization that another year has passed without a playoff game, let alone a World Series game. Today, I am filled with melancholy.
The weather is gorgeous, but on the chilly side. It's fan appreciation day (though Carol & I were not officially "Appreciated" as we didn't win any giveaways). The crowd is pretty thin - 18,949.
The game was interesting. Jon Garland pitched one of his better games this year - by the end of the 8th, he had only thrown 88 pitches. Unfortunately, when he came out to start the 9th, he didn't have it any longer and Damaso Marte had to finish (and finish he did - FOR A CHANGE). We had 4 homeruns (by Ross Gload, Wilson Valdez (his first one), Jose Valentin (his last in a Sox uniform at home?), and whipping-boy Joe Borchard).
The team ends the season 46-35 at home with 145 homers at U.S. Cellular Field, short of the record set by the Colorado Rockies in 1996. The team fell short of drawing 2,000,000 fans this season, but we had 10 sellouts, the most in the 14-year history of U.S. Cellular Field.
After the game, we sat and watched Ozzie's news conference on the big screen and then quietly left the park.
See you next year - you will be missed.
(Boxscore) « hide the extended part of this entry
posted at 05:51 PM | Link | White Sox § |
Saturday, September 25, 2004
White Sox 5 - Royals 1
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Our last Night Game and Fireworks of the year.
Janie commented about the night: "It feels like I went to a circus and a baseball game broke out." She was referring to all of the people sitting around us. Our first group is all of the people that showed-up severely under-dressed, usually all with t-shirts and shorts. Gametime temps were 68° and going down with a 13mph wind. Clearly, they didn't listen to the weather reports and the famous phrase "cooler near the lake". Then we have the Group Sales idiots who are in the section next to us, closer to the plate than us Partial Season Ticket Holders. All they want to do is drink and socialize, usually standing up and blocking our view of the pitcher, the plate, or both. Then we have The Yellers. yes, these are the idiots that think any given player on the field can hear them, no matter how far away they are, no matter that there's a total of 20,625 people trying to say something as well. It doesn't matter, they want to yell, they need to yell. And the crap they yell - at times - makes no sense. Let's take Mr. "Throw The Ball!" who yells this while Mark Buehrle is on the mound. Buehrle, is the fastest no-nonsense pitcher on the Sox, and throws a Complete Game tonight, earning him his 15th win, all within 2 hours and 13 minutes. Then we have the females that show up wearing things that nobody "that size" should ever wear (What the HELL is it with the bare midriff and hip hugger jeans craze when the person has so much friggin' flab hanging over the front of the jeans - let alone the sides - that you just want to either laugh in her face or just puke?) Then we have the normal groups of drunks, some loud, some just stumbling and bumbling. Nothing unusual, but they're just adding to the carnival atmosphere tonight. The one that takes the cake that's driving us nuts is the girl a few rows down in front of us. She looks 14-16. She has a baby that's maybe 4 months old. First, the kid looks cold. Second, every break in-between innings she grabs the kid from a car carrier, puts the kid up in the air next to her, trying to get one of the stadium cameras to put the two of them on screen in the scoreboard. When that's over, she's literally flinging the kid around to wrap her in a pink blanket. Arms and legs are flailing as she flops her back into the car seat. The baby never says a peep. And she's damn cute, too. Too bad she looked like a rag doll as her mom was throwing her around as she yanks her from her seat or wraps her up and drops her back into the seat.
Now, through all this, we were still somewhat able to watch the game. Buehrle looked really good for a change - he's struggled over the last month or so. Jose Valentin finally is productive and gets a homerun (his 28th) along with still another error (his 20th of the year). Carols Lee got his 29th homer of the year as well. I think it might be his 150th career homerun as well.
Last Fireworks of the year as well. Tomorrow - our last day of the year at the park.
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posted at 09:47 PM | Link | White Sox § |
Sunday, September 19, 2004
White Sox 6 - Tigers 1
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Today is Minnie Minoso day in Chicago. No, really, the mayor proclaimed it so. The White Sox held a ceremony on the left-field concourse to unveil a statue of Minnie. Minnie is a goodwill ambassador for the team - I see him all the time around the park, signing autographs for people that remember. This statue is supposed to be the first of 5 over the next five years that will be unveiled at the park (no idea who the next 4 will be). The ceremony was really moving, with Minnie and his family around him. In fact, there were so many family members, they weren't allowed into the small area for the unveiling - they stood outside with the schlubs like me. Some snapshot items: Minnie was the first Black Ballplayer for the Sox, he played in 5 different decades in Major League Baseball, and then pushed it into another decade by playing for the St. Paul Saints in the independent Northern League June 30, 1993 (... doesn't Bill Veek's son own the team?) He was a seven-time American League All-Star and a three-time Gold Glove outfielder.
Minnie threw out the first pitch to fellow Cuban Jose Contreras. We've always joked that it seemed that every time you turned around, you saw Minnie. It was like he never left the park. Now, it will be true.
On the way back to my seat after the ceremony, I saw a gentleman walking by that looked really familiar. Sure enough, it was Vince Galloro, the author of a great White Sox blog that I read with regularity called Exile in Wrigleyville. If you're a Sox fan, please read his take on the team as well as his experiences. He's a good writer, someone that I consider has a fair view on the team. Go - visit his blog. (BTW - the only way I recognized him is because he had some pictures posted at his blog recently that he happened to be in - and he happened to be wearing the same black jersey and Sox hat, so he just stood out). However, I just realized that I never introduced myself, so I'm going to have to fire-off a quick email.
The game was again a good outing, nibbling away at Detroit. Freddy Garcia lasted 7 1/3 innings and gave up only 1 run with 8 strikeouts.
And even though it was another Kid's Day, with autographs and running the bases after the game, the fair weather fans have indeed turned their backs on the Sox - the attendance was only 19,269.
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posted at 10:20 PM | Link | White Sox § |
Saturday, September 18, 2004
White Sox 9 - Tigers 8 - 12 innings
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So much about this game is familiar - the attendance is back down (23,533), the weather is cool again (73 degrees at first pitch and I had to put on my jacket by the end of the game), ups and downs and ups and downs and ups.
The game lasted 4:05, the longest I've been to without a rain delay in some time. It hurt to watch. It was disgusting and exhilarating.
Jose Contreras is pitching an erratic game, not nearly as bad as his last few outings but no where near his potential. The entire pitching staff makes me anxious with every single damn pitch lately - I mean, you really don't know who is showing-up at the mound at what the ball is going to do when they release it. It's scary, not to mention the entire damn offensive staff when you just don't know who you can count on regularly for a hit, a sacrifice to move somebody over. Hell, you don't know if anybody can get on base...
The game is tied 4-4 in the 6th, and we go into extra innings tied. Neal Cotts pitched OK in the 8th and 9th and gets 2 strikeouts in the 10th, but the next thing you know, he gives up 2 2-run homers. We're losing 8-4 in the 10th and it's looking like an extension of last night (We lost 11-10 in 10 innings).
Wilson Valdezcomes in for Jose Valentin and gets a pinch hit single, Ben Davis flies out to center, and my whipping-boy Joe Borchard homers (he's still batting .158). OK, we're halfway there... Timo Perez comes in for Joe Crede and doubles to right (I love those hits - they're right in front of our section as they scream down the line) and Aaron Rowand homers to left. TIED! The substitutions worked, but that's as far as we get, and we go further into the night...
In the bottom of the 12th, Ben Davis grounds-out 1-3, my boy Joe Borchard walks, Jamie Burke grounds out 5-3 and Borchard goes to 2nd.
Aaron Rowand hits a slow grounder to 3rd and is running his ass off. Borchard gets a good jump and is running his ass off. Rowand beats the throw for a single, Borchard scores - game over and WE WIN!
BEST FINISH TO A GAME THAT I'VE SEEN IN A LONG TIME...
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posted at 11:28 PM | Link | White Sox § |
Tuesday, September 14, 2004
Marlins 8 - Expos 6
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I'm back at The Cell again today for the second (and last) Home Away From Home series of the Florida Marlins and Montreal Expos. I went alone and this time sat in Section 130, but in the very first row in front of the screen. Though the angle is gorgeous and the proximity to the players is wonderful, the netting still plays 3-D tricks on you and it gets hard to focus sometime. The people around me are... strange again, though not as vocal as yesterday. The attendance is up slightly to 5,457 from yesterday's 4,003, and they are at least as vocal as yesterday. The concessions seem to be more organized today and, in general, everyone seems to be more organized and settling-in to the "Home Away From Home" concept.
The game was good again and the Expos almost came back to win (or the Marlins almost allowed themselves to lose).
The teams go back to Miami. Hurricane Ivan (or "Pudge" as the team call it), went way west and didn't touch anywhere near Miami, making it feel like the teams never had to use "The Cell" in the first place.
Still, it was awfully unique and I am glad that I had a chance to experience it.
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posted at 05:33 PM | Link | Baseball § |
Monday, September 13, 2004
Marlins 6 - Expos 3
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Carol took the day off. We drove downtown to pickup our friend Barry, and we drove to U.S. Cellular Field to see a little piece of baseball history.
If you follow sports, you know how important it is to play at your home field - you play the most number of games there during any given season. You get used to the quirks of your own stadium and - typically - can outplay your opponents there. Your local fan base comes out and cheers you on, giving you more incentive and energy to play better. And, of course, you help the local community revenue streams.
Hurricane Ivan has its sights set on Florida. The Florida Marlins have already missed 3 games against the Cubs due to rain-outs (that are being made-up) and can't afford to miss any more games. They have 5 games to play against the Montreal Expos (at least one is a makeup for a rainout). Since the Marlins were in Chicago to play the Cubs, and the White Sox are out of town, the teams worked-out an agreement to allow 2 of the Marlin-Expos games to be played right here in Chicago at U.S. Cellular Field.
The Marlins will be the home team in a Home Away From Home series.
The use of another stadium for a regularly scheduled game is rare. It's only happened twice before in the entire history of Major League Baseball.
General Admission Tickets were $15, with $5 going to a Florida Hurricane Relief Fund. Parking was $10. The upper deck would be closed (it turns out, there appears to be work being done with seats down the 3rd-base line).
We got there before the gates opened, since we'd have to find seats. It was a mad dash at the open, but we got our seats in Section 131 - just to the first base side of home plate, 4 rows up. When was the last time you spent $15 to a MLB game and were able to sit behind the plate???
It was an odd experience. We really didn't know either team. THere were Sox fans, Cub fans, Marlin fans, Expos fans, Red Sox fans... and there was only 4,003 of us. The park was quiet so every heckle easily carried out onto the field. The Marlins brought their own Stadium Announcer, their own music and video clips, and their mascot Billy Marlin. There was only a half-dozen concession stands open, so lines were long. All of the other stands and stores were closed. There were hadly any vendors, either. I'm sure they had to scrape together the staffing for today.
(It was a bit creepy - it was like seeing a White Sox game of the future - players you don't know, no Gene Honda announcing the games, Nancy Faust's organ silent and locked-up...)
It was a sunny, hot day (that Carol didn't tolerate very well) and we had to endure the oddest, strangest, nerdiest Expo fan hecklers that sat behind us. Ignoring the idiots behind us ("Hey Lo Duca! You're a communist!", "Hey Lo Duca! You're an anarchist!", "Hey Lo Duca! You're a Calvinist!"), and a guy who was after Expo 3rd base coach Acta (claiming he's the worst 3rd base coach in the game), there was some serious chanting going on later in the game. A few "Let's Go Expos! (Clap!-Clap!-Clapclapclap!)" were mightily beaten back with "Let's Go Marlins! (Clap!-Clap!-Clapclapclap!)". And the 7th inning stretch was very odd, when there was almost no way to tell what team everyone was rooting for. Only one fan ejection that I could see - due to touching a ball in play down the right field line.
The view was great and the game was good. Carol had so much fun that, even though she couldn't take the day off, said that I should go to the game tomorrow!
I just may do that...
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posted at 06:35 PM | Link | Baseball § |
Sunday, September 12, 2004
Not ready
Sorry folks, It's baseball season. I don't care if my team is 9 games out and not in the Wild Card.
It's baseball season - even though football started today. I can't wrap my head around having a new coach and a team that almost doesn't look familiar.
posted at 01:02 PM | Link | Bears § |
Sunday, September 05, 2004
White Sox 6 - Mariners 2
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Sweep? SWEEP!!! I'd never thought I'd see that and say that considering how this team had been playing. Perhaps it was the Mariners that the Sox really needed to play against to get them back in the grove.
I actually had my hopes up after last night's game and after hearing that Jamie Moyer was 0-6 in day games.
Highlights? Homers by Konerko and my whipping-boy Joe Borchard.
Things going on around the park: Today was Teamster Day, so they were all over the place, mostly standing around the outfield concourse drinking smoking and talking, but not moving one bit.
It was also the MDA's Jerseys Off Their Backs promotion. For a $5 scratch card (donation) you could win a chance to go onto the field after the game and have a White Sox player actually take off his jersey, sign it, and give it to you (*ew*). The players were part of the charity ticket thing, while the coaches were involved with a silent auction that also included a signed 8x10 and a signed baseball. Last time I looked, Ozzie was going for $300 and bullpen catcher Man Soon Lee was $100.
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posted at 10:13 PM | Link | White Sox § |
Saturday, September 04, 2004
White Sox 8 - Mariners 7
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Back at the park on Labor Day weekend, and I can finally say the weather is perfect for baseball - 81° and winds that are 15mph, but are actually warm for a change.
Seattle started Ryan Franklin who was 3-13 for the year. It was easy to take him, something we desperately needed to stroke our ego and get us going. Pour guy gave up 4 homeruns (out of 5 total) in 3 2/3 innings (and 86 pitches in 3 2/3 innings isn't that good either) and struckout only 1. He also had a throwing error, one of 4 for the team.
On our side of the card, we had 5 homeruns including Willie Harris's first one of the year. Paul Konerko had 2 homeruns and now has 34. We had a look at reliever Jeff Bajenaru, who got called-up when Cliff Politte had an emergency appendectomy this week. He gave up 3 hits in a third of an inning, all of which eventually scored. Shingo Takatsu had to come in and cleanup (he allowed 2 of those 3 runs). It's nice to see that they stadium crew slightly changed "Shingo Time" so that the gong doesn't sound like a Chinese gong, but sounds more like a Buddhist temple bell. Timo Perez was the guy that won us the game with a throw from right field to third baseman Juan Uribe, who tagged out Bret Boone.
Let me get on my anti-Joe Borchard horse again. Ozzie had him bat 9th as the designated Hitter. How embarrassing is it to have a DH that's batting .154 (.150 by the end of the evening)? I'm tired of the Borchard Experiment. It's time to move on.
The man of the night, however, was Ichiro Suzuki. He's focused on breaking the hit record for a season by going 5 for 5 in tonight's game, earning him a standing ovation from the White Sox fans. He is now batting .379 with 223 hits. (The single-season record for most hits in a season is 257, set by Hall of Famer George Sisler of the St. Louis Browns in 1920. He also has 34 more hits to go to set a record for the most hits during a four-year span, a record currently held by Bill Terry, who had 918 hits from 1929-32.)
Mark Buehrle got the win and improved to 13-8.
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posted at 10:07 PM | Link | White Sox § |
Friday, September 03, 2004
Japanese advertising
I'm watching the white Sox-Seattle game on Fox Sports Net from U.S. Cellular Field and I just noticed that the rolling advertizing sign behind the plate has Japanese advertising in it!
I'd like to think it's because of Shingo Takatsu, but I'm sure it's because of Ichiro Suzuki. Or perhaps, both.
I've NEVER seen that before in the park.
On a side note, I read today that there a rumor that the Cubs will apply to the Historical Commission to be able to put a rolling advertizing sign on the brick behind the plate at Wrigley Field. Ha! Join the ranks of ugly advertising inside the park, dear Cub fans...
posted at 09:46 PM | Link | White Sox § |
Monday, August 30, 2004
How'd he do that?I didn't watch the ballgame this afternoon. The Sox were playing Philadelphia in a makeup game. I'm just having trouble getting behind the team right now, as everything and everybody has been sliding downhill. One of these guys is Joe Borchard. We've been hearing about this guy for years and years that he's the future for the outfield - in 2001 he was named by Baseball America as the No. 1 Prospect in the White Sox organization, No. 2 Outfielder in the minor leagues. He played 16 games in 2002 and 16 in 2003, and 34 this year. His batting average was .222 in 2002, .184 in 2003 and is .163 for this year (.139 over the last 10 games). In 30 games in the outfield this year, he's made 2 errors and has a fielding percentage of .957 (worse than Jose Valentin, another one of our defensive geniuses). It's easy to see why I'm questioning why the hell we have somebody like this in the lineup.
In the 2nd in today's game, with a man on base and one out, he does something that has been pissing me off just like so many others on this team - he swings on the first pitch.
This time, though, he hits a HUGE 504 foot homerun to right-center that easily cleared the bleachers and landed halfway up the concourse. It's the longest ever at U.S. Cellular Field. Ever. (Before that was 495' from Frank Thomas July 23, 2003 against Minnesota off of Johan Santana. Barry Bonds had one at 475' on June 10, 2003 off of Jon Garland)
Oh, what did he do the other 3 at-bats? Struck out each time.
posted at 05:01 PM | Link | White Sox § |
Thursday, August 26, 2004
White Sox Scout Seats?
I just got an email from my White Sox ticket rep.
They're building a new seating area behind the plate with all kinds of new amenities.
If you want the front row, the cost of the seat is $200. Otherwise, it's $170.
After a season like this one where I felt the team just folded and collapsed, I guess all I can say is "Good luck to you selling those seats!"
What do you get for that price?
Premium reserved parking outside of Gate 3 Premium buffet in the 5,000+ square foot private restaurant/lounge with all beverages included Private access to seat location Wait service at the seats for food and beverages Comfortable, wide seats Self-service island featuring popcorn, ice cream, peanuts, soda, water, etc. One of the best seats in the house, some of which are closer to home plate than the pitcher!
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Thursday, August 26, 2004
NEW ALL-INCLUSIVE 'SCOUT' SEATING AREA
AMONG CHANGES TO U.S. CELLULAR FIELD FOR 2005
CHICAGO - A brand new "Scout" seating area for fans - located directly behind home plate and featuring behind-the-scenes views, pre and postgame access to a premium club offering Levy-catered dining, in-seat wait staff during the game and special parking next to the ballpark - is planned for U.S. Cellular Field in 2005.
This new 314-seat area will be built behind home plate, replacing the current field access tunnel and some existing seating. Fans with tickets to this area will have access to a 5,000-square-foot private restaurant and lounge located inside the ballpark at Gate 3 and will enjoy behind-the-scenes views of the ballpark's inner workings. These seats will feature personal wait service from Levy staff, as well as reserved parking just outside Gate 3. Please see the attached renderings.
"These will literally be the best seats in the house," said Brooks Boyer, White Sox vice president of marketing. "We are offering fans a unique ballpark experience that will come as close as possible to actually being a member of the team. Fans will park right near the ballpark, spend pre and post game in a premium club with a first-class Levy dining experience, walk to their seats past the visiting clubhouse and then sit right behind home plate with personal wait service throughout the game. All of this will be available for one price - parking, the cost of the ticket, food and beverage - which we think makes this a very well-priced option when compared against other professional sports facilities in Chicago and across the country."
Scout Seat tickets are being offered in season packages, first to existing White Sox season ticket customers. Prices are $200 for seats in the first row of the special section and $170 for all other seats.
"You see the popularity of these exclusive seating options throughout sports and in all of the new ballparks and venues," Boyer said. "And we think the amenities provided with this experience will be unmatched for fans in this area."
Phase V renovations, which are scheduled to be completed by Opening Day 2005, also include a new, multilevel baseball and softball skills area called "FUNdamentals." The ballpark's Phase V renovations, designed by sports architectural firm HKS of Dallas, Texas, were made possible by the 2003 naming rights agreement with U.S. Cellular.
FUNdamentals, a 15,000-square-foot baseball and softball skills instruction area, will be relocated on the left field concourse and will feature a youth-sized baseball diamond for coaching clinics, batting and pitching cages and areas for baserunning and skills instruction, in addition to a kid-friendly concession and novelty stand.
-30-
© 2004 Chicago White Sox
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posted at 05:02 PM | Link | White Sox | 1 comment § |
Sunday, August 22, 2004
White Sox 5 - Red Sox 6
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Still another game to attend that's been mucked-up. We had Elvis Friday night, Fox moved our normal Saturday night game to 12:15pm. Today, our 2:05 kids day game was moved to 7pm so ESPN could cover this debacle nationally. SO, since it's Kid's Day (they were giving out book bags as a promotion), they were having the autograph sessions before the game. Saw a group of people dressed up in Yakult Swallows gear to get Shingo Takashi's autograph, and there was a group of people sitting a couple of rows back with their bento boxes and sushi... I'm actually happy about this. I'd like to see us jump on the Japan bandwagon and ride this for as long as Shingo is here.
The other big thing is that ESPN's Baseball Tonight is setup on the field and is being done live before the game. I went over to check it out, but it was difficult to follow anything that's going on, since most of the talk was voice-overs of videotape of the afternoon games. A crewman came over and shared a plate of desserts with the fans (which, to my shock, didn't storm the guy). Had a great fudge brownie.
The game... sucked again. We actually got into the lead for the first time this series. Freddy Garcia, who has thrown about 117 pitches, comes out in the 8th and on the first pitch, Manny Ramirez hits a homer to tie the game. Ozzie brings out Damaso Marte who throws one pitch to Ortiz who hits a homer putting them in the lead.
That's it. That just sucked the life right out of me. I'm angry, I'm disappointed, I'm shocked, I'm disappointed, I'm despondent, I'm disgusted, I'm tired, I'm sick.
We were in First Place for a good part of the year. If we weren't, we're just a few games out.
We're in 3rd, 8 games out. Everything has failed - hitting, pitching, defense - everything.
To top it all off, there were a TON of Boston fans at each of these three game. Where the hell are these people coming from? Are there that many displaced Bostonians in Chicago? Are people actually traveling here to see them? Even on a Sunday Night?
However - Props to those fans. They were THE BEST fans for the visiting team I've ever seen. Cub Fans should take lessons from these guys.
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posted at 11:07 PM | Link | White Sox § |
Saturday, August 21, 2004
White Sox 7 - Red Sox 10
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Today's game was moved up to 12:15 so that Fox could broadcast it. We got to the park really early just to get... an Esteban Loaiza bobblehead doll. Yes, even though he got traded to the Yankees, they got to get rid of them, and for the second day in a row, it's a sell out.
And for the second day in a row, the game starts poorly and I can feel myself disconnecting from the game. It's also the first day of the Chicago Air and Water show, so I switched my radio over to listen to that as I kept my eyes on the skies to see if we could see anything from the south side. (We saw a little).
It was still better than watching the game, which sucked again.
On the way home, we're going down the Dan Ryan when The Blue Angels, in the middle of their routine in the air show, came roaring toward us on a very low high speed pass and turn. You could see everyone slam on their brakes and stop and cheer and yell and applaud. Wild.
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posted at 08:05 PM | Link | White Sox § |
Friday, August 20, 2004
White Sox 1 - Red Sox 10 - ELVIS NIGHT!
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I honestly couldn't tell you a thing about tonight's game. I went to the game - I shut it out. We were losing 6-0 in the 2nd and that was enough for me to give up. Hell, it was Curt Schilling.
Oh, it was Elvis night again. Saw the performers, saw my old friend Peg and spent quite a few innings talking to her and her husband Rob about the state of the team, played the Sox Spilt Raffle, (but didn't do as well as two years ago).
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posted at 11:23 PM | Link | White Sox § |
Sunday, August 08, 2004
White Sox 3 - Indians 2
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The day starts off well - it's the annual Fuji Film Photo Day where. if you show up early enough, you can go out on the field and take pictures of the team. Always very cool. I took between 80 - 90 shots.
Jose Contreras pitched a very good game - 9 innings, 9 strikeouts, only 1 run - but he had 108 pitches, so he didn't come out in the 9th to defend our 2-1 lead.
Instead, Damaso Marte comes out in relief. I HAD LOST ALL HOPE for this guy. I cringe every time he comes to the mound. I think he's lost "it". But, since there were left-handers coming up and that's what Shingo failed against last night, Ozzie sends Marte in instead.
Marte strikes out the first batter - and then promptly gives up a homerun, tyeing the game.
All those crappy feelings from yesterday - and almost every game in the the last 2 dozen - come back again.
Shingo comes in and retires the side.
In the bottom of the 9th, Timo Perez singles to center. Timo is jumping all around first, forcing Rafael Betancourt to keep throwing to first while Ben Davis is up. Davis, goes through 9 pitches as well, keeping the inning alive. Eventually, he hits a gapper to right center and Timo comes all the way around and scores, winning the game.
FINALLY.
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posted at 10:04 PM | Link | White Sox § |
Saturday, August 07, 2004
White Sox 5 - Indians 6
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A boot to the head.
A kick to the groin.
Watching another White Sox loss.
It looked bad from the beginning. We were losing 3-0 until the 6th, when Roberto Alomar got a 3-run homer, followed by a 2-run homer by Juan Uribe.
The game was sewn-up. I mean, Shingo Takatsu came in to save the game in the 9th - when Mr. Zero gave up 2 singles followed by a homerun, thus losing the game.
I'm sick to my stomach.
The boys are now 7 games back, in 3rd place, behind Cleveland.
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posted at 10:03 PM | Link | White Sox § |
Saturday, July 31, 2004
Baseball despairOne week ago, I was at a ballgame for my favorite team - The Chicago White Sox. Everything was right with the world.
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They had won that night on a walk off homer. The team was in First Place by half a game.
Flash forward one week.
The Sox lost tonight for the 7th straight game. They lost the game tonight the same as yesterday - getting into pitching trouble, loading the bases, and walking-in the winning run.
They're now 5 games out of first place, 4½ games out of the Wild Card Race. They're batting .227, the worst in the majors.
More misery: Today is the Trading Deadline. The Sox trade away 2-time All-Star pitcher Esteban Loaiza to the Yankees for pitcher Jose Contreras.
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posted at 09:59 PM | Link | White Sox § |
Sunday, July 25, 2004
White Sox 2 - Tigers 9
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Well, it's not much warmer out, but there isn't a cloud in the sky. So I as the new Lobster Boy from my lengthy pool time on Friday had to make sure every part of my body is covered in clothing or sunscreen.
In the big picture, however: it was a waste coming to the game. It ran long (3:08) and we left early as it was too painfull. We got killed. Garland couldn't get it together, and neither did the bullpen. Nothing to talk about - we sucked.
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posted at 09:32 PM | Link | White Sox § |
Saturday, July 24, 2004
White Sox 7 - Tigers 6
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So, the zombies shuffle-off to the park for a baseball game. As has been our luck all damn year, it's late in July and the temperature is 68 degrees and it's windy. In other words, cold and uncomfortable.
I don't feel great about Schoeneweis as a starter. I still don't think he's as solid as we need. His 6 innings of work had 3 walks, only one strikeout, 8 hits and 5 runs. The tigers had this in their pocket by the 4th. It was 6-2 in the top of the 7th, but it was 6-5 at the bottom, and we tied it up in the 8th.
In the 9th, Joe Crede hits a walk-off homerun, something I didn't think we'd see tonight. The crowd of 38,055 - another sellout - went nuts.
Tigers - 4 homers, 10 hits
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posted at 10:23 PM | Link | White Sox § |
Monday, July 12, 2004
Disco DemolitionExactly 25 years ago right now, The Chicago White Sox had to forfeit a game at old Comiskey Park
Local WLUP "shock jock" Steve Dahl along with partner Garry Meier had a promotion at old Comiskey Park: Show up for a Double Header with the Detroit Tigers and bring a Disco record and get in for $1. The record would be put into a pile and blown up in between games to signify the end of disco.
All hell broke lose after the event - fans rushed the field, tore up turf, even set fires in the upper deck.
Detroit manager Sparky Anderson protested field conditions and game was called-off and later forfeited by
WTTW is broadcasting a one-hour special commemorating the event right now. I guess you can get a DVD of the show by going here.
posted at 08:21 PM | Link | Baseball § |
Sunday, July 11, 2004
White Sox 4 - Mariners 3
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Wow, that was warm today (It's about time - it's mid July!) Well, so far I'm still not sure about the Freddy Garcia trade. I sure don't feel like he won the game today - he was just the pitcher of record when we took the lead. For today's 6 2/3 innings: 3 Earned Runs, 1 homerun, 1 walk but 7 strikeouts. And we had another great close today. For the third day in a row, it was "Shingo Time"! There were a lot of Japanese media types all over the place (probably due to Ichiro Suzuki playing today - he was off yesterday) and they were around Shingo during the autograph session before the game today. Hopefully they have good things to say about how nuts the place gets when you hear those gongs play and Takatsu comes out of the bullpen.
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posted at 09:38 PM | Link | White Sox § |
Saturday, July 10, 2004
White Sox 3 - Mariners 2
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I've got to say that we didn't think 37,405 would show up for this game. It was startling.
It was Matt Thornton's first major league start for the Mariners and for a while, it looked like he would give us some problems. Well, until the 5th when he walked 4 batters, forcing-in 2 runs. Mark Buehrle allowed two runs on nine hits in eight innings. Then in the 9th, the gong was sounded and in came Shingo Takatsu. They're really playing up his entrance now. There are signs of "It's Shingo Time!" and that incessant gong (which I'm not sure is appropriate for someone from Japan for some reason when I hear a gong I think Chinese). Anyway, the place goes absolutely nuts when he comes out and stays that way as he retires the side with ease. Boy, I like this guy.
Problem: Buehrle is known for his short games. The game lasted only 2:13, so at 8:20 the sky wasn't exactly dark enough for fireworks after the show. Let's just say it was uninspiring.
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posted at 10:27 PM | Link | White Sox | 1 comment § |
Sunday, June 27, 2004
White Sox 9 - Cubs 4
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Well, there seems to be a lot less tailgating today. No idea why. While standing outside Gate 3, there seems to be more Cub fans today than yesterday. Also, there seems to be more people looking for tickets, though I never saw a single person selling.
The pitching matchup was going to be thrilling: Esteban Loaiza vs. Greg Maddux. The game starts with Timo Perez running out to his position in right, doing a Sammy Sosa impression. In the 1st, Loaiza throws 7 pitches, Maddux throws 35 pitches and gives up 2 runs. That's how the day is going to go, back and forth, each pitcher having their own problems. In the 2nd, Sosa has a 454-foot homerun to dead center, hitting the ivy in the batter's eye. Sammy has another homer in the 3rd. Timo Perez has a homer in the third, and as he cross the plate he points to the sky. Sure enough, as he goes in the dugout, he's doing another Sammy Sosa impression, the whole two-fingered salute and kiss. Wooo boy. The Sox take the lead and stay that way the rest of the game. The boys win at home on a Sunday to keep that record going - 6-0.
Getting out of the park, the parking lots, and onto the Dan Ryan was miserable. It was offset by hearing the news about "the trade". Miguel Olivo (who caught the game and left after his at-bat in the 7th) was traded to the Seattle Mariners along with minor league outfielder Jeremy Reed and infielder Michael Morse to get pitcher Freddy Garcia and catcher Ben Davis. I guess Olivo took it hard. He's going to be miised. But... Garcia? Does this mean we've got a complete rotation now?
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posted at 10:09 PM | Link | White Sox § |
Saturday, June 26, 2004
White Sox 6 - Cubs 3
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Well, the game doesn't go at all like I had thought... Felix Diaz doesn't last just one or two innings - he goes six innings, gives up 3 runs (including a homerun), but the Sox give him run support with homeruns from Konerko, Crede and Valentin. I think more than anything, the Sox went after Carlos Zambrano and just messed with his head. He wasn't getting his calls and we knew that gets to him, and then we just fed on that to try and rattle him. He gave up a 3-run homer to Konerko and then Timo Perez got on first. Timo just taunted Zambrano and forced him to throw to first quite a few times before he finally pitched to Crede - who hit another homer. The crowd of 39,553 was pretty well split Sox/Cubs, though it just felt there were more Cub fans. It was odd - everytime the Cubs did something, it seemed like the whole place was up and cheering. Then when the Sox did something, it seemed like the whole place was up and cheering. Weird. I do have to say, however, that the buzz had gone out of the Cub fans as the game progressed. In general, I saw no fighting and no severe taunting that I've seen in prior years.
The most electrifying moments? Every pitch by Shingo Takatsu. They really played-up his intro and in the 9th everyone was on their feet and cheering every single pitch. How can we have a "closer by committee"??? Give him the job already!!!
Let's see how the game goes tomorrow...
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posted at 06:16 PM | Link | White Sox § |
Saturday, June 19, 2004
Sox Yard Sale
Went to the White Sox Yard Sale at the park. Normally it's usually around the 2nd week of March, but because of the extensive construction around the park, they postponed it until today. And instead of being a Garage Sale, it was billed as a Yard Sale held in the Patio area. It seemed like the number of jerseys available has finally gone down after a couple of years, so it was getting hard to find a "good" one, though they were there for a price. The regular jerseys were about $150, but the "good" ones are at least $350. It didn't matter - I didn't have any "good" money with me, even to purchase a cheapo jersey. I was there to pick up any All-Star Game tchochkies that was still still left over. i was able to get an All-Star Media Guide which I wanted - for 25 cents. Spent a few more bucks on some All-Star Bobble Heads (miniatures of the ones that were deployed around Chicago to celebrate the All-Star game last year).
The odd items this year? Parking lot and stadium signage, seat parts, players luggage (huge, hard-sided Samsonite), bricks (from where?), and scoreboard modulator pieces (no idea which scoreboard).
While this was going on, there was Family Day in the Park in the outfield, where families can go (for a price - $20/adult $10/child) to play catch in the outfield for an hour. We've done this every year as part of season ticketholder parties, but it's never been done with the public. The place was packed. But there was something I had never seen before - it wasn't fathers bringing their young kids to play catch. The people that stood out were the 20- and 30-somethings that brought their fathers to play catch. An early Father's Day present that could really be something precious to have.
posted at 11:35 AM | Link | White Sox § |
Sunday, June 13, 2004
White Sox 10 - Braves 3
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Odd, day at the ballpark. Odd. It's Interleague Play time. That's only a little odd. Then today is Spiderman 2 today in Major League Baseball. All kids get a Spiderman paper mask and a foam hand. At least MLB backed-off having the logo on the bases during the game. It's Kids Day, so there's autographs before the game.
Then came the oddest part of the day. It made me angry. It made me mad. It made me ... embarrassed.
The new marketing guy (Brooks Boyer), who came from the Bulls, is still tweaking everything. First, the player introductions are much more elaborate, lasting almost 5 minutes. (Every time I hear AC/DC's "Thunderstruck" I always think of the Wolves). We also now have a small team of people that slingshot & throw T-Shirts into the crowd in-between one of the innings.
But before the game today, marketing took one more step forward and it's one step too far.
Before the game, in center field, they unveiled... a new mascot. Oh, cripes, WHY do we need a mascot??? It's some kind of indescribable thing called Southpaw. I couldn't find him during the game to get a picture of him. Maybe we'll see him again at another game <*blech*>
The game itself was strong and was a very good win. Carlos Lee now has a 27-game hitting streak, tyeing the franchise record with Luke Appling and Albert Belle (what a group).
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posted at 05:23 PM | Link | White Sox § |
Saturday, June 12, 2004
White Sox 10 - Braves 8
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Great night at the ballpark. Finally, I'm sitting in my seat at a night game in short sleeves and no jacket. It took us this long to get good weather. The place is packed, too (34,719, second largest this season). The Draw? The Braves. It's cross-pollination time and this is their first visit to the South Side.
The new marketing director is slowly making his changes - the player introductions are getting longer and bigger, there's a group of people that come out between innings (OK, just one inning) and slingshot T-shirts into the crowd (Very Bulls-like - after all that's where the marketing guy is from).
Esteban Loaiza got roughed-up for 6 runs and 2 homeruns. Nobody could figure out the strike zone of home plate umpire Gerry Davis. Pitches directly over the center of the plate weren't getting called. Eventually, in the 6th, we see Davis yelling into the Sox dugout. Ozzie emerged and put his hand out as if to say, "hey, I'm coming out here to discuss, not argue." Well, that lasted about 30 seconds and Ozzie got tossed. That set him off and he started yelling for at least 3 minutes. We were all wondering if the umpire understood a single word Ozzie said in his tirade... Welcome to management, Ozzie - you just got your first ejection...
It was a battle, where the Sox scored in every inning except the 1st. Carlos Lee extended is hitting streak to 26 games, going 3-5. Frank Thomas, who actually played 1st base in anticipation of National League parks during interleague play, had two homeruns in the game, adding more fuel to the "statistically, he hits better when he actually plays a position during the game instead of DH" debate.
Speaking of debates, we were smack dab in the middle of another one - who was going to close? There was only a 2 run lead (which has proved to be not enough is some situations - thank you, Billy Koch). The answer was Shingo Takatsu, who threw 7 pitches, 6 for strikes to retire the side in the 9th, while the crowd the whole time was on their feet chanting "Shin-go! Shin-go! Shin-go!" He's got a 1.16 ERA now. Just let the guy close already, will ya? He's the Japanese all-time saves leader, don't you think he can do this?
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posted at 10:11 PM | Link | White Sox § |
Wednesday, June 02, 2004
New FUNdamentals at USCF
I was going to comment on this last week, but never got around to it...
The White Sox have this great area for kids called FUNdamentals, with batting cages, pitching cages and base running areas, all staffed by White Sox instructors. A lot of people may not even know it exists - it's by gate 3, so if you don't go in that gate, you may never see it.
The Sox announced that as part of the proposed rehabs of TPFKAC™ (U.S. Cellular Field) for next year, they are going to rebuild FUNdamentals and put it over the left field concourse.
It looks like a great location (it also looks like you just might be able to watch the game from up there) and will definitely give the area more exposure and better access.
posted at 10:48 AM | Link | White Sox § |
Sunday, May 30, 2004
White Sox 11 - Angels 2
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Today was the annual Photo Day. WAS. Some pretty good storms rolled through town during the morning. In fact, due to some driving, we wound up experiencing the same severe storm cell three different times. We got to the park early enough for the event, but I was only in line less than 10 minutes before they canceled it.
The game was delayed over half an hour, but it was worth it. In the traditional feast-or-famine approach this year, the boys score in the double digits to beat the Angels. Their pitcher - John Lackey - threw 45 pitches in the first inning alone, and left the game after 3 innings and 85 pitches.
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posted at 09:21 PM | Link | White Sox § |
Saturday, May 29, 2004
White Sox 1 - Angels 5
DOG DAY!
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It's Carol's most favorite White Sox game of the year - not for the actual game, mind you, it's because it's Dog Day! The left field bleachers are set aside for owners and their dogs (maximum 500 dogs that have to be pre-cleared with medical releases, so you just can't show up with a dog). We always get there early to watch the dogs arrive and then go into the park and watch the parade around the field before the game.
The game itself sucks. Ozzie Guillen is in Florida for his son's high school graduation, so Harold Baines is the substitute manager for the day. Ozzie had already made out the lineup, so he just had to manage the game. The game itself feels odd, like there's something missing, some spark, some energy.
The game is doomed anyway. It's time for our rotating-nonexistent 5th starter to pitch. We don't have a 5th, so we keep trying out people. We're not very successful, as the "5th Starter" has an 0-6 record this season while the other 4 starters are 20-8 with a 3.68 ERA in 40 starts.
Today's lucky guy is Jon Rauch, whom we haven't seen since 2002 due to injury. (Side note: he's the tallest pitcher in MLB history - yes, taller than Randy Johnson - at 6' 11").
Things are OK until the top of the 4th, which lasts about 15-20 minutes. Rauch gets into trouble and is left in a batter or two too long. We're down 5-0 by the time he gets pulled.
Then Rauch leaves. No, I mean he leaves. He knew he was just called-up for this one game, so he decides to get a jump on traffic for the trip back "home" so he leaves the park while the game is still going on. GM Kenny Williams goes down to the clubhouse to talk to him and finds out he's gone, a major MAJOR faux pax in baseball, and Kenny immediately decries that Rauch will never play for the White Sox again. (Rauch hears about all of this during the ESPN post-game show and calls-in to explain his side of the story - that it was a big misunderstanding and in no way was he dissing the team. He also called pitching coach Don Cooper to explain. Cooper, BTW, says that Rauch was all the way to Indianapolis by the time he called. Who knows what's going to happen...)
So, other than Paul Konerko's solo homerun (for which there were no fireworks so the dogs wouldn't get scared), there is nothing to talk about. The team lost some fire - does Ozzie motivate that well?
(Boxscore)
After the game we went over to Janie & Gary's new condo - yes, they're moving again. They're doing some rehabbing before they move in, so we saw the "before" look of the place. After the condo we went to the South City Tavern for dinner.
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posted at 09:28 PM | Link | White Sox § |
Sunday, May 16, 2004
White Sox 11 - Twins 0
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OK, the sun's out and it's almost 10 degrees warmer today than yesterday (though it's only 63 degrees at gametime). I'm excited about the game and angry at the same time - it's Feast Or Famine with this team. We lose yesterday but win today 11-zip.
Oh, and I'm tired of Jose Friggin' Valentin, too. He may be have been 3 for 5 in the game with a 3-run homer, but he also had 2 errors. THIS is the guy that should be the team's DH.
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posted at 06:06 PM | Link | White Sox § |
Saturday, May 15, 2004
White Sox 1 - Twins 4
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You know... I'm getting really tired of my underachieving teams...
Another friggin' cold night at TPFKAC™. It was in the 80's on Thursday, but tonight it's 53 degrees with winds from the northeast at 9 and it just feels like almost the coldest night yet. The weekdays are fine, but when the weekend comes and we got a game to go to, the weather gods just screw with us.
And speaking of screwing with us, why the hell can't the Sox beat the Twins? It just pisses me off. They're in 1st and every game we lose, we fall behind. This is a very critical series...
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posted at 10:02 PM | Link | White Sox § |
Friday, May 14, 2004
Wolves 3 - Admirals 4 - West Division Final Game 6 (2 OT)
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Season Over.
Not much to say here... the teams played the same as they played all series. The Wolves just didn't know what the hell they were doing. Those 12 days that they had off between the series killed them. Lot all of their passing prowess.
So, it's over. After 2 friggin' overtimes, we lose at home. There was a sense of anger and loss after all of this. The ref didn't call a single penalty in the 1st overtime - and even though it really pissed-off the fans, you just got to let the guys play...
I wanted to team to do well this year. Hell, we were in the playoff like we should have been, but I feel... relieved.
So long boys - see you in September...
On the way out, I ducked back in to get one last shot of the arena.
They were playing an acoustic cover of Elton John's Daniel. I heard: "Lord I miss Daniel... Oh, I miss him so much..."
I grabbed my picture and quickly ran out, tears welling up in my eyes.
They were playing that in honor of Danny Snyder... I had forgotten how the season had started...
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posted at 11:58 PM | Link | Wolves § |
Thursday, May 13, 2004
White Sox 0 - Orioles 1 - Game 1 - White Sox 6 - Orioles 5 - Game 2
Oh crap... do we feel STUPID...
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Every year with our Weekend Season Ticket package, we get one game during the week, usually a holiday. Last year - no holiday, but it was a Monday and that was OK. This year it's a Thursday. And it's Carol's Birthday to boot.
The lovely weather this week rained-out the game last night, so today is going to be a doubleheader. (They had to do that as we don't play the Orioles again this year). The the first game is at 1:05.
We were STUPID. We NEVER checked the tickets. We ASSUMED today's game was a 7:05 game, and with the double header, we thought it would be a a split day-night double header and today's scheduled game would be at 7:05 and yesterday's game would be at 1:05.
We were wrong. Thursday is typically "Get Away Day" and games are usually scheduled early. Carol called me from work at about 1:30. The scheduled showed today's game at 1:05. Sure enough, the tickets say 1:05!
We're screwed! WE HAVE NEVER had this happen before.
Well, Carol left work right away and came home. We changed and we were out the door at 2:20. We got to the park at about 3:50, just at the end of the first game. I'm glad we missed it - we lost.
There aren't a lot of people at the game. The weather is keeping them away. And then it starts to rain. Not hard, more or less a drizzle. It's going to be miserable. We start the game strong and lead 3-0, but we eventually go down 5-3. The sky gets even more threatening - we can hear static while listening to our AM radios. I realize that we need to get on top quick and get out of there. So, out loud, I say "How about a home run, we take the lead, the rain comes in and the game gets called and we win?" I say this just as Erik Bedard releases his pitch to Paul Konerko who proceeds to hit a homer into the left field seats (with 2 guys on base). As Paulee circles the bases, the skies open-up. The Ground Crew comes out and covers the field with the Sox up 6-5.
The torrential rain hits the park. People scramble for dry seats (very few in this park). Take a look at this short video of the Rain Delay.
The Rain Delay lasts an hour and 42 minutes. There aren't a lot of people left for the rest of the game. Anyway, there were no more runs and the Sox win.
We will NEVER let this happen again... how embarassing...
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posted at 10:58 PM | Link | White Sox § |
Monday, May 10, 2004
Wolves 2 - Admirals 5 - West Division Final Game 4
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The Wolves suck. We are down in this series 2-1 and the game that we did win... I couldn't tell you how we did it. Take a look at the Gamesheet from Saturday's game. The ref was Harry Dumas, who called 38 penalties of 122 minutes (87 minutes on 26 infractions were against us). He did some other odd - possibly illegal - things like trying to use off-ice officials to verify stick infractions (which the on-ice people should do). He called 3 game misconducts (one against Coach Anderson) and a Match Penalty against Mike Weaver (which means he doesn't play tonight). Apparently Mr. Dumas asked for a police escort home.
So, tonight we have our other "favorite" ref - Dan O'Rourke. He's not a problem tonight.
Tonight, the problem was The Wolves. They look tired. They can't keep up. There's just no way in hell to keep Milwaukee outside our zone. How the hell is Kari Lehtonen supposed to stop all of the 45 shots coming at him? You've got to ask - what the hell are there 45 shots to begin with?
We're being outplayed. We're down 3-1 in the series and it goes to Milwaukee on Wednesday.
I don't expect to be back at the Allstate Arena this season.
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posted at 10:34 PM | Link | Wolves § |
Sunday, May 02, 2004
White Sox 3 - Blue Jays 2
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Yeah! The sun's out! Not a cloud in the sky!
It was terrible! Worse than yesterday! Damn Chicago weather decided to choose "wind" to screw up our day. It was bearable while we were still in the sun, but the wind was a bit brisk. Then the sun ducked behind the stands, and it was terrible.
The only thing that saved us was these damn hand warmers that I talked about yesterday. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! Worth $1!
I was distracted by having to walk around the park too many times to 1) keep warm and 2) stop my legs from twitching. The few things that stood out: bunting. I can honestly say that I haven't seen this much bunting by this team since we've had season tickets. Love the agressive base running, except Uribe got caught stealing by a mile.
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posted at 08:29 PM | Link | White Sox § |
Saturday, May 01, 2004
White Sox 4 - Blue Jays 3 (Game 1) - White Sox 6 - Blue Jays 10 (Game 2)
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Oh boy, this was lousy. Cloudy, cold, windy, rainy.
Oh, and long. We didn't rush out the door to get to the first game of the doubleheader, since we knew that we would be there a while. We got there just after 3pm, only to find out that there's been a rain delay, so the game won't start for about half an hour. The game just seems slower because of the weather. I took a quick break and went down to the Bullpen Sports Bar to watch the Kentucky Derby. It was a nice respit from the weather, but then I needed to get back upstairs. However, while I was downstairs, the Jays get a run and tie then game. Then just to add insult to injury staying out in this weather, the first game goes into extra innings. At least we win. (Did you know that Joe Crede has had 3 last at-bat wins so far?)
They've started the All-Star Game balloting. The home opener wasn't even 3 weeks ago - how can anybody make a wise choice in the balloting instead of just stuffing the box with favorites? Based on how he started the season, do you honestly think Derek jeter should be there? Oh, and since the game is in Houston this year, there's no DH. Frank Thomas is on th ballot for 1B. Puh-lease. I'd rather see Paul Konerko, the real 1B for the Sox on that ballot. That's a slap in his face by not including him.
The second game was worse and Danny Wright (who scares the hell out of me) doesn't look good at all.
Oh! Let me tell you about something that we found that helped with the cold!!! At Home Depot, in impulse-buy stuff in the checkot lanes, we found these chemical hand warmers. They were only 97 cents for a pair. They're two fabric pouches filled with dry chemicals. You open the packages and shake the pouches. Within 15 minutes you have over 110 degrees of heat for almost 10 hours! Just stick them in your jacket pockets and keep your hands in there - they're wonderful!
It's one thing to stay behind your team in the cold/wet/wind when they're in the lead or even in the hunt. It's another thing to watch a game in the cold/wet/wind when they're not playing well. Then add-in the fatigue from enduring this for hours.
After 6 hours of this, Carol threw in the towel. She was just too uncomfortable and we left in the 7th. I don't like leaving the game, but this was just a torture to stay there. So much for the first Fireworks Night of the year...
We left, and the boys just went down the toilet and lost the second game.
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posted at 10:42 PM | Link | White Sox § |
Doubleheader???
Oh, great. The Sox got rained-out last night. Since Toronto is in the East, we only play them once a year, so they have to make-up yesterday's game today.
So like I said earlier in the week, the weather is going to suck. Let's see... what is it outside now? 46 degrees. Wind is about 10mph. Wind chill = 41. Oh, and that infamous cooler near the lake. It was going to be crappy sitting out in this to watch a night game, what the hell is this going to be like for two freakin' games???
We may have to discuss this...
posted at 10:05 AM | Link | White Sox § |
Sunday, April 25, 2004
White Sox 6 - Devil Rays 5
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OK, it's our first Sunday game, a Kid's Day game, and still another change for this year: Sunday starts are an hour later now, at 2:05 PM. We hate it - it just throws-off your whole day.
The weather is only slightly better than yesterday - it's about 10 degrees warmer, but the winds are 10 mph stronger with higher gusts. Oh, and drizzle. Twice during the game.
We were losing throughout the game and I wasn't impressed with our play again. And before you know it, we're at the end of the game. Then something weird happened - the sun came out. As soon as that happened, the crowd livened-up, the players woke up, and we won the game in the bottom of the 9th. No, wait, we didn't win - they lost. I mean they loaded the bases and walked-in the winning run. Ugly.
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posted at 05:54 PM | Link | White Sox § |
Saturday, April 24, 2004
White Sox 1 - Devil Rays 4
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What a lousy day for baseball... we were back at The Cell for our first regular Season Ticket game. It's cloudy, windy, and cold - it was 52 degrees at gametime and had gone down to 45 degrees by the end of the game. There were only 17,062 paid for the game and less in attendance. I took a quick trip around the park to look at the "new stuff". My first trip was to the upper deck to see the changes. The concourse area, though somewhat enclosed now, is actually not much different to the eye. The concession stands were rehabbed last year, so all that's different is the enclosure screens, some heavy iron cross members (since they cut-off eight rows of seats, the structure had to be shored-up). I went up to the last row of seats behind the plate. Yes, I love the roof, even with the obstructed views (reminds me of the old park). But, damn it, the climb up to those seats sucks. There is a new statue erected in the right field concourse dedicated to Charles A. Comiskey, the founder of the White Sox. Why do I have a feeling that this has something to do with the stadium naming rights going to U. S. Cellular? They also replaced something that's been missing for a year or so, something that I thought they would have taken of last year for the All-Star Game - the list of retired jerseys. Instead of being on the Club Level facade, now their on the left-center outfield wall. I don't like it - the graphics are a little crappy - a bit too stylized.
I just loved what the Daily Herald said about the game: Saturday's pitching matchup at U.S. Cellular Field featured a guy who hadn't won a game in his last 17 starts against a guy making just his sixth major-league start after compiling a middling 30-35 record in the minors. Great. I just never feel good about Danny Wright. He was "fine" through 3 and 2/3's, but he just couldn't shut them down. Frank Thomas got plunked in the 6th (after a solo homer in the 4th). The benches sort-of emptied and the bullpens sort-of emptied (the pitchers never made it to the infield). Typical baseball - no fights.
I don't know, I wasn't happy. the weather was bad, the play was bad.
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posted at 04:47 PM | Link | White Sox § |
Friday, April 23, 2004
Wolves 8 - Griffins 2 - West Division Semifinal Game 4
SWEEEEEP!!!!
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It was an odd omen - during the pregame introductions Skates (the Wolves' mascot) for the first time in years, slipped and fell while trying to skate to a stop at center ice before letting out his howl. We knew this was going to be an odd night.
It only took the Wolves 1:46 to score their first goal and the team just started to pick-up from there. By 10:46 into the first, we were up 3-0 and Grand rapids had pulled their starting goalie Joey MacDonald for Marc Lamothe. We ended the first 4-0. At 10:57 in the second, we were up 7-0 after Lamothe gave up 2 goals within 30 seconds, and the Griffins decided to put MacDonald back in net. The 4,916 people in the place were really going nuts by then.
Derek MacKenzie had a Hat Trick and we were up 8-0. Kari Lehtonen was only 4 minutes and 59 seconds away from a shutout when the griffins finally scored a goal. They were able to sneak another one in a little later, but there was no way they were going to catch-up.
So, a year after being swept in the Western Conference semifinals by the Griffins, the Wolves get some payback.
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posted at 10:38 PM | Link | Wolves § |
Wednesday, April 21, 2004
Wolves 4 - Griffins 1 - West Division Semifinal Game 3
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Well, it's Post Season time again! And, as is typical for our post-season games, there were only 2,831 people on hand. This is pretty normal - the Wolves have been unable to do any Group Sales because the dates are so unknown. It was still a loud crowd, The Griffins struck first, but the boys never let it get out of hand. In fact, they've been playing really well for weeks. There's been a playoff atmosphere at the Allstate Arena for weeks.
Steve Maltais had 2 goals and an 2 assists. Kari Lehtonen stopped 29 shots.
And now, we're in a improbable 3-0 lead in the series!
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posted at 10:10 PM | Link | Wolves § |
Tuesday, April 13, 2004
Home Opener - White Sox 12 - Royals 5
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Yes! It's time to get the season started. It's time for the Home Opener for the White Sox. The drive top the park was the best we've had for any opener. The weather just sucked, though. It was a hazy sunny, but it was 43 degrees - not exactly baseball weather. Oh, and it was worse: 22 mph winds from the northeast. Miserable.
The park looked great. The new upper deck rehab actually really does change the look of the park (believe me - I was skeptical). I need to get up there and check it out sometime. The new Fan Deck seating area is a nice change too. Looks like a great place to watch the game. The item that really got me, though, was the outfield wall and all the padding around the field. It's green. I've wanted this for a long time - The Greening of Comiskey (er, "The Cell"... whatever...). It's just a matter of time when those godawful swimming pool blue seats get ripped-out and replace with dark green. I can feel it... it's coming. It will totally change the look of the park.
The game was better than expected. After the poor Cubbies lost their Home Opener 13-2 (and put them in the cellar of their division), I just wanted a win.
Exciting? Well, would you believe that after starter Esteban Loaiza gives up not one but four home runs and only one strikeout, and 2B Juan Uribe commits two stupid errors, we still trounce the Royals 12-5 with homeruns by Uribe and Konerko
(Boxscore)
After the game we went over to Janie & Gary's for dinner. Of course, most of the time we were looking through the windows at the views or actually going out on the balcony to watch the boats (and trains) go by.
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posted at 08:42 PM | Link | White Sox § |
Saturday, April 10, 2004
Wolves 1 - Admirals 3
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Last game of the regular season.
Well, last night we played the Admirals in Milwaukee. We were down 3-1 in the 3rd and won 6-3.
No luck like that tonight. So, the regular season ends on Fan Appreciation Night.
At least we have the playoffs to look forward to.
(Boxscore - Gamesheet) « hide the extended part of this entry
posted at 10:28 PM | Link | Wolves § |
Two in a row...
Sorry... not much going on in my life, so watching baseball is key.
Two wins in a row against the Yankees.
I like it.
Sorry, Erin.
posted at 02:58 PM | Link | White Sox | 1 comment § |
Friday, April 09, 2004
That's better...
So the Sox and Cubs start the day even - both with 1-2 records and in 4th place in each of our divisions (OK, tied for 3rd actually). I feel good about that. <snicker>
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I had to give the game yesterday to the Yankees. I mean, home opener. 80th season in Yankee Stadium. Lots of payroll. I thought losing 3-1 wasn't bad... considering who we were playing.
So, today I was able - due to my unemployment - to watch the game on TV. Oooooooo it was nice to watch. In the 9th, though, I thought I was going to watch a replay of that damn season opener against the Royals. But, going up 9-1 on the Yankees? Do you know how happy that makes me feel? I don't know who I hate more - the Cubs or the Yankees (sorry, Erin, I gotta say that... I'm just not a fan of them...). So, we trounce the Yankers 9-3. Jon Garland pitched 8 innings and gave up 4 hits and 1 run, but walked 7. « hide the extended part of this entry
posted at 06:20 PM | Link | White Sox § |
Wednesday, April 07, 2004
Wolves 4 - Rampage 3
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Yep, it's The Return of The King - Wolves style. Kari Lehtonen came back from his first visit to Atlanta. In his 4 games there, he was 4-0-0 with a 1.26 Goals Against Average and 95.3% Save Percentage, and notched his first NHL Shutout. There's no way in hell we're going to see him next year - he's just too damn good. To top it off, watching in the stands is another one of our former goaltenders who's now also playing for Atlanta - Pasi Nurminen. The game started well, with the Wolves scoring 2 in the First. Then a former Wolves player - Kamil Piros scored against Kari. At the end of the first came a taked-down fight with crazy Karl Stewart which got him a Game Misconduct (Rule 56(a)). Things got tense during the game and the teams were tied 3-3 in the third. Kari was good, but... how do you go from that stellar NHL debut to this??? The crowd really got into it - it is still that great Playoff atmosphere as we struggle to get a better position for the playoffs. Then Steve Maltais scored a powerplay goal with 6.7 seconds left in the game.
(Boxscore - Gamesheet) « hide the extended part of this entry
posted at 10:07 PM | Link | Wolves § |
Monday, April 05, 2004
Oh, so this is how it's going to be...
How the hell can this happen?
The White Sox are in Kansas City and lead them 7-3 going into the bottom of the 9th.
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Seven batters and three pitchers later (Thank You Cliff Politte for the 2 runs and 13.50 ERA, Billy Koch for his 10 pitches - 7 were strikes - but none the less one hit and one run in one third of an inning giving a wonderful 27.00 ER, and Damaso Marte whose Blown Save and Loss come from 17 pitches to 3 batters that produced 2 homeruns) The Sox lose 9-7. (It's the biggest Opening Day 9th Inning comeback since 1901)
What the hell happened???? How can you start the season this way!!!??? « hide the extended part of this entry
posted at 04:55 PM | Link | White Sox § |
Saturday, April 03, 2004
Wolves 2 - Griffins 1
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Tonight was Military Night at the game. All the branches of the Armed Forces had tables setup around the arena to give away trinkets, but also boost recruiting. I only mention this because, after I went upstairs to the balcony to get a picture of the Navy Band (which only played before the warmups and then disappeared), as I came down the stairs, I, well, missed the last step and wound up falling to the floor and almost wiping-out an Air Force table. Screwed-up my right ankle pretty bad - the same one I screwed-up a few years ago when I fell at the O'Hare Metra station before a Wolves game (long story there). So, anyway, I watched the game in pain...
This was playoff-style hockey tonight. The Griffins have been slipping lately (we're in 3rd behind them - Milwaukee is in 1st). We beat them last night in Michigan, so things were a bit tense on the ice.
Saw something that I've never seen before in a hockey game. Stephen Baby shoots the puck high into the Griffins net, drops down and bounces off the left post. The goal judge (Bob Lilla) lights the light, Fireworks go off, siren sounds, crowd goes nuts (13,327, BTW)... but the ref waves it off and allows play to go on for another 30 seconds until the play is whistled dead (i can't remember why.. offside maybe?). The ref goes off to confer with the goal judge and allows the goal! Now, the fans are confused and the Griffins players go nuts with three of them charging the glass in front of the goal judge, screaming their heads off.
The play was pretty intense all throughout the game. Yes, it had the feel of playoffs. And now, with the win, we're only 2 points behind the Griffins with 4 more games to go.
Carol & I stayed a little while after the game to see something the Wolves do every once in a while - open up the ice for an hour of open skating (you have to bring your own skates). It takes way too long to get everything going (Zamboni the ice, get everyone to sign waivers, etc) and - as a spectator - a bit boring. But we watched a little and finally left.
I wasn't feeling too excited about this team's chances this year - until today's game. If they could just keep their focus and play a full 60 minutes...
(Boxscore - Gamesheet) « hide the extended part of this entry
posted at 11:08 PM | Link | Wolves § |
Thursday, March 25, 2004
Ducats
Well, after a very long day at work and a long drive home, I find that we've received one of my most favorite packages of the year...
Our White Sox Season Tickets! Same old box, no new information, same seats, nothing I'm really looking forward to this season... just another season of baseball and hope...
posted at 07:05 PM | Link | White Sox § |
Wednesday, March 24, 2004
The Cell's not doneSaw on the Channel 7 News tonight that it looks like the upper deck renovations at The Cell seem to be way behind schedule for the home opener on April 13th. Take a peek at the story.
posted at 04:53 PM | Link | White Sox § |
Saturday, March 20, 2004
Wolves 2 - Grizzlies 5
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What a lousy game... we were tied 1-1 into the third when Utah scored 3 goals in 1 minute 43 seconds. *ouch* Even though we lost, the Wolves became the third team to clinch a berth in the Calder Cup 2004 Playoffs (all three teams are from the old IHL).
This was going to be a fun night for the fans. A little bit of history here...
First off, the group that sits in our general area have an unofficial name - The Penalty Box Police. The name partially comes from the fact that we do have a bunch of cops that sit around us, but it's also because we ploce the penalty box of the visiting team. We make sure that we try to get under the skin of any opposing player in the box. It always start with a chant - (for example, let's say Nick Naumenko had a penalty - and he had quite a few tonight. The group would chant: "Nau-men-ko! Nau-men-ko! Nau-men-ko! You Suck!".) OK, it's not very original (here's a sample of the chant - the audio isn't as good as it could be), but it's just our way of saying "Howdy!". The more you show up in the box, the louder and more boisterous we get. The biggest mistake is to acknowledge our existence, because we'll just turn up the taunting.
Last week, Utah was in town and the two teams had the luck of getting ol' #42 O'Rourke as a referee. This guy always blows calls and usually doesn't control a game too well. There was a period of time last week when Utah had 5 guys in the Penalty Box at the same time.
One of these guys was Zenon Konopka. I guess the guys were really after him in particular (he was in the box and made the mistake of recognizing us). The whole Allstate Arena went after this guy. First, groups of people around the stadium took turns chanting "You Suck!" at him, eventually the entire place did it together.
Well, everyone in our group was making sure they were going to be at the game tonight, ready to focus on Konopka.
The problem happened last night. Utah played Milwaukee and let's just say there was an awful lot of fighting. Our "friend" Konopka got suspended for one game. He didn't dress for today's game.
I've never seen so many people bummed out for a visiting player not to show up. Ryan, who sat in front of us, even made a "Konopka Sucks" shirt for the occasion.
Well, we got a little reprieve when Sockboy (Bill) came over to tell us that Konopka was in the seats, watching the game. Sure enough, we found him. So, we coordinated chants between both the north & south sides of the stadium to go after the guy. And, of course, he recognized us wuth a wave.
We find out during the 1st intermission, that even the AHL officials knew about us, Ryan's shirt, and Konopka being in the stands. During the 2nd Period, Ryan decides to go over to him and get the shirt autographed.
It turned out fine. Both Konopka and Justin Cox (who didn't play because of a thumb injury, probably from one of the fights last night) where really nice guys. The had a great conversation, and said to Ryan (and Brad who was with them) "Now, when we walk away, it's war!"
What a great attitude to take, having a great time together but realizing that there's a game on and alliances and allegiances must be kept.
Of course, when everybody was back in their seats, we had to chant one last time...
(Boxscore - Gamesheet) « hide the extended part of this entry
posted at 10:29 PM | Link | Wolves § |
Wednesday, March 17, 2004
Wolves 5 - Mighty Ducks 1
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Only 4,814 at the game tonight, but what can you expect for a) a Wednesday night and b) St. Patrick's day in Chicago!
The highlight? The return to the Wolves of Bob Nardella
It was also the last night of the St. Patrick's Day Jersey Auction that I talked about a few days ago. Well, as usual, most jerseys went for around $1,00-$1,200, one or two in th $800-$900 range and a few in the $1,200-$2,000 range. Again, great for the charity, absolutely sucky for the fans who will never get a jersey (and there are a ton of people that wear jerseys to these games).
(Boxscore - Gamesheet) « hide the extended part of this entry
posted at 10:12 PM | Link | Wolves § |
Sunday, March 14, 2004
You can put it on your TV.... YES!!!!
Yes! Chicago White Sox Spring Training on WGN!!!
Yes!!! My life's clock is ticking!!!! Yes!!!
(I'm ignoring the fact the the Sox were on yesterday, because they played the Cubs in Mesa, so the telecast was a Cubs telecast and I hate Chip Carey so much, that it was impossible to watch...)
posted at 02:09 PM | Link | White Sox § |
Saturday, March 13, 2004
Wolves 4 - Barons 2
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Wow, a nice physical game. Not fighting-physical, just fast, hard-checking physical. Guys were finally finishing their checks, they were shooting (the Wolves had out-shot their opponents in only 20 games this year, and out-shot the Barons 38-27), they stayed on the attack and actually gave Michael Garnett some defense. Hell, it was 4-0 10 minutes into the 3rd period, when, like too often in other games of late, we let the opponents back into the game. (Kari Lehtonen was called-up to the NHL for the first time to see some real shooting. He's on the playoff roster, so we'll see him again) Nice crowd, too - 10,438.
It's time for the Annual St. Patrick's Day Jersey Auction - that little out-of-control fundraiser that regular fans just can't afford. Great for the charity (I think it's Easter Seals), bad for the fans that can't afford to get involved. Example: The auction runs for three games (tonight, tomorrow, and Wednesday - St. Patrick's Day). Before the game started tonight, the bid for Steve Maltais' jersey was at $2,000. What Regular Joe Fan can afford that???
(Boxscore - Gamesheet) « hide the extended part of this entry
posted at 10:18 PM | Link | Wolves § |
Saturday, March 06, 2004
Wolves 3 - Hamilton 5
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Ouch. We were outplayed tonight. We were up 3-1 at the end of 2 Periods, and before you know it, we lose the game 5-3. It was good old hockey. A cleanly fought game, no shoving grabbing, just hard checks and strong skating.
I don't know what was going on, but there were 14,112 people there tonight. That's great for the team, bad for us. We're on the aisle at center ice. The row has 28 seats, so people have to pass us every time they want something to eat or drink or ... whatever. And since they're usually group sales people, they are there to socialize and have absolutely no concept about "Wait For The Whistle" - wait for stoppage of play before you get up and disturb everyone around you!
(Boxscore - Gamesheet) « hide the extended part of this entry
posted at 10:37 PM | Link | Wolves § |
Saturday, February 21, 2004
Wolves 6 - Aeros 3
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UGLY GAME. At 3:12 into the first, the first fight came. It was a doozy, with 3 game misconducts (one of their guys - Jason Marshall - got 2 minutes for Instigating (a popular one tonight), 5 for fighting, 10 minute misconduct (fighting - instigator) and a game misconduct (abuse of Officials). That'll give you the tone of the whole game. The Aeros had 77 minutes of penalties (the Wolves had 35). Yes we dominated, but Houston out-shot us 37-28. Steve Maltais had a Hat Trick, only the second one the team has had this season.
(Boxscore - Gamesheet) « hide the extended part of this entry
posted at 10:30 PM | Link | Wolves § |
Friday, February 20, 2004
...<silence>... *tick* *tick* *tick*That's the sound of my life's clock ticking again.
Pitchers and catchers have reported!!!! Woooo Hoooo!!!!!!
posted at 07:53 PM | Link | Baseball § |
Monday, February 16, 2004
The "new lid" at "The Cell"
Since I was on the South Side today, I swung by Comiskey (sorry, I will probably always call it Comiskey) to see how the upper deck rennovations were going. The place is a ness. 35th Street is down to two lanes to accomodate the cranes. It's not done and they still have a ways to go. I'm not sure if I like it, but at least it's something to try to fix the park.
posted at 06:06 PM | Link | White Sox § |
Tuesday, January 20, 2004
Party?Tonight was the annual Chicago Wolves Season Ticketholder Party, but instead of holding it at the Allstate Arena like the usually do, it was held at Gameworks in Schaumburg (we were happy - Gameworks is much closer to home!). The problem with Gameworks, though, is that it's a much smaller venue. Every machine and game in the house was busy (it was all free while we were there), but it was hard to maneuver around - the lines for the buffet upstairs were huge, not to mention the lines for player autographs were much worse and much slower). We found out there was a second buffet in - of all places - the restaurant and hardly anybody was in there. It was an OK time, but it was quite a bit different and I'm not sure if it was "better" or not. I could tell by our friends John and Carol that it might not appeal to the "older demographic" - crowded, noisy, multiple floors...
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posted at 10:19 PM | Link | Mundane § |
Saturday, January 17, 2004
Wolves 5 - Moose 1
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Well, it's time for the Manitoba Moose. I look forward to these games for two reasons - 1) singing "O, Canada" (best national anthem ever), and 2) Riding Jimmy Roy. Historically, the group of regulars in our section and the one across the aisle don't think much of this gut. He's a career minor league player, never spending a single minute in the NHL. He's an aggressive player who isn't opposed to taking dives or antagonizing opposing players. He tends to spend quite a bit of time in the penalty box (at least during our games) and when he does, he's ours. By taunting him, we have been able to take him out of his game, causing more problems for him and his team. First penalty tonight (at 6:33 in the 1st for roughing - big surprise), as we layed into him, he flipped us off, which, off course, just feeds us. It's something that entertains us all game, every game against Manitoba.
Kari Lehtonen has been day-to-day since hitting the crossbar in Wednesday's dame, so the team called-up Michael Garnett. He gave up the first goal of the game but did a pretty good job the rest of the way. The Wolves, on the other hand, out-shot the Moose 41-20 and got 5 goals past Johan Hedberg, who also wasn't "in the game", complaining about one goal and getting a Roughing penalty. (It's always a physical game when these two teams meet.) Three of our goals were on Power Plays, while Manitoba's only goal was shorthanded (Damn.)
As a side note - we didn't really miss Steve Maltais, who was "scratched" because of a Deliberate Injury Match Penalty in last night's game.
(Boxscore - Gamesheet) « hide the extended part of this entry
posted at 10:09 PM | Link | Wolves § |
Wednesday, January 14, 2004
Wolves 3 - Maple Leafs 3 (Overtime)
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Back at the Allstate Arena for the Wolves game. It's a little odd - hardly any of the "regulars" were here for the game. Today was the first day of this year's first Jersey Auction for charity. The jersey's are a special 10th Anniversary jersey, that I think looks really sharp (work with black pants and black socks). The auction, however, is already a little out of hand. The rumour is that our rookie goalie Kari Lehtonen has the potential to be the next Dominik Hasek, so the bidding in the First Intermission is already up to $1,500 and the auction doesn't end for two more games.
Though it was weird being at the game without Carol, and my jersey, and without my radio to litsen to Judd, I guess I'm glad Carol wasn't there. There was a whole group of very youing kids sitting right in front of us, with parents that didn't care that there kids were sitting on top of the seats, blocking everyone's view, not to mention continually moving around. The parents didn't undertsand the whole "Wait For The Whistle" concept to not stand up during play. It would have drove Carol absolutely nuts. Oh, and I had the young mother of the group sitting in front of me with her thong showing everytime she leaned forward to talk to the kids. Pull up your pants and pull down that sweater, already - it's a friggin' hockey game!
The group of people across the aisle weren't much better - two young couples that were absolutely loaded by the end of the night. The two women bought these oversized foam rubber Wolves claws that are sold at the arena. There were actually mock-clawing each other... as well as people they didn't know in the row in front of them... it was just weird. One of the guys tried to out-whistle the Joey & Laura's horns, trying to get louder as they blew harder, which of course, no one around them wanted to hear. It was so weird, that Joey & Laura (who were sitting behind them) actually sat next to me for the 3rd Period to get away from them.
The game itself was a mess, just like the last time we played them. The Baby Leafs are a tough, scrappy and maybe even a little dirty team. Things got physical early, but it just got stranger through the game. We were leading 2-0 after the 1st, but late in the 2nd, somebody from St. John's hip checked Kari Lehtonen who got thrown backwards and hit the back of his head on the crossbar. He got pretty shook-up, but stayed in the game. He never came out for the 3rd Period, and was replaced by Freddie Cassivi. Later in the 3rd, Mikael Tellqvist came way out of the crease to play the puck and a charging and Karl Stewart checked him, sending his helmet flying and him to the ice - and Stewart gets called for Interference. Things went steadily downhill from there, with a lot more fights. We lost the lead and the game was tied 3-3. The Baby Leafs spent way the hell too much time in our zone, just peppering whoever was in the net. We get through the Overtime Period with a tie, even though we were out-shot 50-35.
(Boxscore - Gamesheet) « hide the extended part of this entry
posted at 10:39 PM | Link | Wolves § |
Saturday, January 10, 2004
Wolves 3 - Mighty Ducks 5
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Boy, that game sucked. There was no flow to the game, just a lot of bad passes stealing, breaking up shots, back and forth, up and down the ice. It was actually... boring. There were a lot of people there - 11,828 (the largest of the season) - and they seemed to have all been sitting in our row. Note to people going to a hockey game for the first time: understand the concept of "Wait For The Whistle". DO NOT get up to go get a beer, some food, or go to the bathroom while play is going on. It's 1) inconsiderate for everyone that you have to disturb to get out of your row 2) dangerous since you will be blocking the vision of those around you who may not see a flying puck coming at them. Be considerate, watch the friggin' game and keep your socializing to a minimum.
That being said, the game still sucked. It's the first time we lost in six games at home.
(Boxscore - Gamesheet) « hide the extended part of this entry
posted at 10:06 PM | Link | Wolves § |
Friday, January 02, 2004
SI quotesReading the Sports Illustrated Year In Sports issue and found a quote that put me on the floor... WASN'T THAT A LINE FROM THE KAZ TADANO FILM?
After people wearing hot dog costumes collided during a footrace at Miller Park in Milwaukee, Brewers manager Ned Yost said, "I just looked over and saw our wieners in a wad."
posted at 11:31 AM | Link | Mundane § |
Saturday, December 27, 2003
Wolves 4 - Grizzlies 0
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It's been a month since we've been to a hockey game. Since then, the boys haven't played very well, until their win last night.
It's been a little odd going to the games lately. Most of the people that sit around us haven't been coming regularly. Chelby & Damian don't come to the games anymore. The crowd seems to be less and less "regulars" and more and more Group Sales. There aren't any giveaways at the doors anymore - in prior years almost every game had something given away. Every game is now broadcast on Comcast cable, but they didn't sign a radio contract with anybody, so If you can't listen over the Internet, you're S.O.L. Yesterday they started using a very low power AM transmitter inside the arena to broadcast the games to anybody with a radio inside (quality sucks and you can't hear it if you're going to get something to eat or drink). I don't know - the games just don't feel the same...
I'm thinking Utah was thinking the same thing. They lost an engine while still on the tarmac in Salt Lake City. They didn't get to the arena until 4:30 for the 7pm game.
That being said, we scored in the first and didn't score again until the 3rd and then it was like they smelled blood in the water. We almost had another goal when Utah goalie Mike Smith blocked a shot, but it went straight up into the air behind him, landed on the ice and almost crossed the line before it was dug-out by some Utah players. Smith never saw it. Kari Lehtonen got his first professional shutout.
Carol was ringing her cowbell quite a bit. A lady in the group sitting next to us wanted to ring the bell, so Carol gave it to her. As soon as the bell left Carol's hands, we scored. Needless to say, the bell got a workout. So much so, that a little girl three rows in front of us was turning around to tell Carol to stop ringing her bell. Did she stop? of course not!
(Boxscore - Gamesheet) « hide the extended part of this entry
posted at 10:37 PM | Link | Wolves § |
Sunday, December 07, 2003
Makin' 'em mad...
Saw this great sign during the Bears-Packers game...
Update: Bears lose 34-21. We suck.
posted at 01:12 PM | Link | Bears § |
Saturday, November 29, 2003
Wolves 4 - Maple Leafs 1
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It seems like we haven't been there in a while, but we were back at the Allstate Arena to see the first game (here) against the St. John's Maple Leafs. There must be some bad blood left over from their last meeting up on Canada because the first period was awfully physical. There was a total of 17 penalties in the first period. Both teams were physical and actually pretty evenly matched. By the time the third period came around, though, it looked like the Wolves were getting tired. We actually had two Power Play goals tonight, as well as an Empty Net-er.
With only 27 seconds left in the game, Karl Stewart got into a good fight (that was brewing all night) and wound up getting a Match Penalty for Attempt to Injure. Yeow. And then the Baby Leaf's Kris Newbury doesn't get a penalty for going over the top of the refs to go after Stewart. What a mess.
(Boxscore - Gamesheet) « hide the extended part of this entry
posted at 10:23 PM | Link | Wolves § |
Monday, November 03, 2003
Familiar face
Well, the Sox made a decision - one that a few people find surprising - former shortstop Ozzie Guillen was named Manager of the White Sox. A few things I remember about watching him play - he has heart, intensity, he never wanted to walk (I always saw him go after pitches - and make contact - that were all over the place), and had this odd little "goofball" side of him, always working hard but having fun in the process. The downside? No management experience - though he was Third Base Coach for the Champion Florida Marlins this year. I hope this works out...
posted at 06:19 PM | Link | White Sox § |
Sunday, November 02, 2003
Wolves 3 - Crunch 4
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So, we get to the game at the very start of the 2nd Period (more on that in another post) and we're already losing 2-1. Kari Lehtonen doesn't look as good as the last time we saw him. The team just doesn't feel like they're working together. It just feels odd. Speaking of odd - Syracuse has Pauli Levokari who used to be on the Wolves last season (for about 6 games). The guy is big - 6' 5". Coach gets one of our players to talk to the ref and say they believe Levokari's stick is too long. The ref takes the stick, measures it and - sure enough - it's too long and Levokari gets 2 minutes for Illegal Stick. Interesting move. While he was in the box, we scored, but it wasn't enough - we lose 4-3.
(Boxscore - Gamesheet) « hide the extended part of this entry
posted at 07:02 PM | Link | Wolves § |
Saturday, November 01, 2003
Wolves 4 - Griffins 3
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Wow - 12,818 tonight for the hockey game. By 11:17 into the first period, we're losing 3-0. Freddie Cassivi looks like a sieve. What the hell is going on here? We just had to wait another 5 minutes and the Wolves score two goals within 38 seconds. We wound-up scoring 4 unanswered goals and win 4-3. The shots are starting to come up, even though we only out-shot them 35-32.
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posted at 10:06 PM | Link | Wolves § |
Saturday, October 25, 2003
My clock has stoppedWell, the Florida Marlins won the World Series over the Yankees. Good for them! I have one complaint, though. At least, I think it's a complaint. We listened to the postgame on ESPN radio on the way home from the hockey game. All I could hear in the background is the sound of New York New York by Frank Sinatra, being played over and over and over... Now, somehow it feels wrong to me to hear this. I associate this song with the Yankees. It's like they're drilling this into anybody within earshot to say, "Hey, screw you, this is New York", trying to either 1) soothe the absolutely shocked fans who just couldn't believe that their damn team lost or 2) put down Florida saying, in a way, to hell with you - it should be the Yankees who won. The flip side to this is a specific line of the song - "If I can make it there, I'll make it anywhere" which, actually, is a tip of the hat to the Marlins. I'm just so conflicted right now...
But, now it's over. My clock has stopped - that invisible clock that quietly ticks inside of me to the beat of the baseball season has gone silent, and won't be heard again for months. This is an extremely melancholy time for me. Baseball is life for me. It's weird. I can't explain it and I don't think I ever could. My body follows no other clock. No other sport has this effect on me. Not even the passing of the seasons have this kind of effect.
My clock waits silently for the first pitchers and catchers to return to their spring training facilities months from now.
posted at 11:31 PM | Link | Baseball § |
Wolves 3 - Roadrunners 1
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Back at the Allstate Arena tonight for the first-ever meeting of the Chicago Wolves and the... Toronto Roadrunners? Apparently the management group used to be from the Phoenix Roadrunners in the old IHL (I remember them!), they just didn't change the team name. Like there's roadrunners in Toronto... Impressive team... I think. It was really hard to tell because we were getting out-shot (41 to 20) and they were always in our zone. Now, I don't know if that's because of their aggressiveness, or perhaps the Wolves are slipping on defense. We got our first chance to see our rookie goalie phenom - Kari Lehtonen. He stopped almost everything, and he did it so effortlessly. He always saw the puck, his reflexes look way good, and, like I said, when he made a save, there was no panic, just a a nice fluid movement. Remarkable. Had some fighting in the game, like these teams have seen each other before. They look good. We'll have to keep an eye on them.
(Boxscore - Gamesheet) « hide the extended part of this entry
posted at 11:12 PM | Link | Wolves § |
Wednesday, October 15, 2003
Cubs Lose! Cubs Lose!
Congratulations on winning your division. Sorry you didn't go any further.
To their fans: It's the Cubs. There's always next year.
Heh.
Heh heh heh.
Oops. Sorry.
posted at 10:34 PM | Link | Cubs § |
Priceless
Sorry. This showed-up in my morning emails. I know I'll regret putting it up, but after last night, what's a disgruntled White Sox fan to do...
Now, everyone out there, leave poor Steve Bartman alone. He "did not even see Moises Alou".
posted at 08:22 AM | Link | Mundane § |
Tuesday, October 14, 2003
Chicago Wolves in Hoffman Estates?Work starts tomorrow on a new practice facility for the Chicago Wolves. Where? About 6-7 blocks from my house! Hoffman Estates approved it last night night - dual NHL-sized ice-skating rinks in a 90,000-square-foot addition to the 35,000-square-foot Blackhawk Community Center. Going to be very cool next September/October when we can walk to a pre-season game!
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Hoffman Estates backs Wolves' plan
By Kimbriell Granderson Daily Herald Staff Writer
Posted October 14, 2003
A proposed community skating rink and Chicago Wolves practice facility scored with Hoffman Estates officials Monday night.
But those who oppose the project, many of whom live adjacent to where the skating rink would be located, vowed to form a political action committee.
"It's not all over," said Tom Rehwald, one of the residents spearheading the opposition.
Rehwald and his wife, Rae Ann, said their next move is to form a group to replace park and village board members who supported the project.
"The community has said the Blackhawk (Community Center) location of this project is inappropriate," Rae Ann Rehwald said.
She and others contend the building is too large for the site and that the project will add too much traffic and noise.
"(It will be a) harmful impact on the neighbors. Then why would you vote in favor of these ice rinks?" she asked. "What about the negative emotional and stress impact on the community?"
At its meeting tonight, the park district board is expected to approve bids for mass grading of the site, utilities and the refrigeration system, said park district Director Dean Bostrom.
Work is officially expected to begin Wednesday. Within the week, expect to see construction fencing go up and some light polls come down. Mass grading equipment is expected on the site Monday, Bostrom said.
The project will continue through winter and is expected to be open by September 2004.
The park board is proposing the $12.5 million project in partnership with the Wolves. The facility is to be built at the Blackhawk Community Center at 1685 W. Higgins Road.
The 90,000-square-foot addition is proposed for the 35,000-square-foot facility. The addition will be located on the southwest corner of the property, adjacent to the community center.
The dual NHL-sized ice-skating rinks will accommodate 785 spectators, as opposed to the 900 seats that were originally proposed, with 525 seats in the competition rink and 260 in the recreation rink. Nine hockey and figure skating locker rooms will be built, along with a locker room for the Wolves. There also will be a concession stand, party rooms and skate rental area.
The Wolves will continue to play games at Allstate Arena in Rosemont.
« hide the extended part of this entry
posted at 11:08 AM | Link | Wolves § |
The Cell gets a trim
Carol left part of the Metro section of the Chicago Tribune on my Aeron chair by the computer this morning. There it was - a picture of seats being ripped out of the upper deck at "The Cell" a.k.a. U.S. Cellular Field, "The Joan", and my TPFKAC™. It said that they were pulling the seats "in preparation for decreasing the upper deck's size for the '04 White Sox season." Well, it's a start - I'd rather see them just take the whole frickin' upper deck off (which, structurally, looks like they could do it) and just rebuild the thing with a better pitch and maybe a new "roof". The only issue may be trying to cover the concession areas below the seating.
Hell, I was just happy to see something that said "White Sox" in the paper after all this damn Cub Fever crap gong on in town...
Bitter? Hell, yes...
posted at 10:20 AM | Link | White Sox § |
Sunday, October 12, 2003
Killer MarathonHoly crap... A 29-year-old female runner, Rachael Townsend, 29, of The Plains, Ohio, collapsed and died about 100 feet after she crossed the finish line of the 26th annual LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon today.
It's not the first time this had happened - in 2001 Luke Roach, 22, of Seattle, died after collapsing near the finish line - his temperature soared to 107 degrees while he was running and he died of heat stroke. In 2000, Danny Towns, 45, of Edmond, Okla., collapsed and later died of coronary arteriosclerosis, a hardening of the heart arteries. In 1998, Kelly Barrett, 43, of Littleton, Colo., died three days after a cardiac arrest in the marathon medical tent. Her death was attributed to low sodium levels, apparently from drinking too much water while running.
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Rachel's Marathon Results:
15K: 1:15:25
Half: 1:45:54
15M: 2:01:12
20M: 2:43:37
40K: 3:28:26
Pace (min./mile): 8:24
ClockTime: 03:43:07
ChipTime: 03:40:33
OverAll: 5783
OverSex: 1047
OverDiv: 275 « hide the extended part of this entry
posted at 05:41 PM | Link | Sports § |
Saturday, October 11, 2003
Wolves 2 - Griffins 3 - Overtime
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Here we are, back at the Allstate Arena in what just seems too early for the hockey season to begin. The Wolves are celebrating their 10th season as a team. It's not bad to be around only 10 years and have 3 championships, all of which were under the same head coach John Anderson, who is starting his 7th season. There's been only one player that has been with the team since the beginning: Steve Maltais. The team has a new "lower" affiliate - the Gwinnett Gladiators in the ECHL. There was a looong pre-game ceremony for the 10th Season celebration.
Then there was a video tribute to former Wolves teammate Dan Snyder who died in that horrific car crash. He was buried yesterday up in his hometown of Elmira, Ontario. The Thrasher's had their tribute before their opener on Thursday - tonight was our turn. Not a dry eye in the house. The Wolves painted his Wolves jersey number (19) on the ice behind each net, where it will remain for the season. They're wearing "19" stickers on their helmets. There were posters and banners everywhere in the stands. He was a good guy with a great life still ahead of him. He's going to be missed by the fans here in Chicago.
It was nice seeing familiar faces again, both in the stands and on the ice. Most of the team is back. Our main goaltender, Norm Maracle, is now playing in Russia (if I understand this correctly, he replaced a goaltender that was found dead, presumably a hit from the Russian mob... go figure...). That being said, we had Frederic Cassivi in net tonight. The team had a pretty slow start, but there was something a bit different - there's a hint of aggression, of attacking and not just sitting back. We were down 2-0 at the end of 2. It didn't look too good (we could score on a 5-on-3), but there still was this more aggressive intensity there. In the third, we tied it up and out-shot the Griffins 12-6. Unfortunately, it only took 1:02 in overtime for the Griffins to score, and we lose the season opener 3-2.
Still, I didn't mind what I saw. I saw them play much worse last year, and this was just opening night. Let's see how the year progresses.
If you would like to see the tribute to Dan Snyder from the Allstate Arena, including the National Anthem, I have it right here as a Windows Media file (.wmv) - it's 720 x 480, 5:38, 15fps, and it's huge - 67.3Mb.
If you would like to see just the Wolves video tribute to Dan Snyder, I have it right here as a Windows Media file (.wmv) - it's 720 x 480, 1:53, 15fps, 22.5Mb.
(Boxscore - Gamesheet) « hide the extended part of this entry
posted at 11:12 PM | Link | Wolves § |
Monday, October 06, 2003
Dan Snyder
Damn.
At about 10:30pm last Monday, Atlanta Thrashers Left Wing Dany Heatley (NHL 2002 Rookie of the Year and MVP of the 2003 All-Star game) was driving his 2002 black Ferrari convertible at over 80mph in a 35mph zone on Lenox Road near Alton Place NE in the Buckhead area of Atlanta and lost control on a curve, swerved into the opposite lane, crossed the dividing line and left the pavement before crashing broadside into a brick pillar and iron fence. The impact of the crash broke the automobile in two.
His passenger was Atlanta Thrasher Center and former Chicago Wolves player Dan Snyder (who was on the Wolves 2003 Calder Cup team). Snyder was ejected from the car and thrown 30 feet onto the road. He had suffered a significant depressed fracture toward the back of his head on the right side, and a classic "acceleration/deceleration injury". He was in a coma.
Snyder died yesterday.
Now, Dany Heatley (who had suffered a broken left jaw, a minor concussion, a contusion to his lung, a bruised kidney, complete tears of his anterior cruciate and medial collateral ligaments and a torn lateral meniscus in his right knee and limited nerve injury to some of the muscles in his left shoulder), will be charged with vehicular homicide (it used to be just "serious injury by vehicle"), as well as reckless driving, driving too fast for conditions, driving on the wrong side of the road and striking a fixed object.
The fans in Chicago will always remember Snyder for his heart and tenacity. What a way to go.
posted at 08:59 AM | Link | Wolves § |
Monday, September 29, 2003
Jerry's gone
Not surprised. Not surprised at all.
White Sox General Manager Kenny Williams relieved manager Jerry Manuel of his duties today.
My life clock has stopped. My baseball season has come to an end. My team is now without a manager and who knows who will still be part of the team when they report to Spring Training in less than 5 months.
*sigh*
posted at 02:10 PM | Link | White Sox § |
Sunday, September 21, 2003
White Sox 4 - Royals 10
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Oh, my God, does this team suck...
I just can't describe the feelings running through me. Disappointment, yes, but also disgust. Jon Garland only went 2-2/3 innings giving up 7 earned runs on 6 hits, one walk, one strikeout. Scott Schoeneweis came in and pitched 3-1/3 with 2 runs but none earned. Why? We had three errors, two on Tony Graffanino (not like him to do that) and Jose Valentin (seems like it wouldn't be a game without him making an error). Cripes. Jon Adkins finished the game with 3 innings of work. By the time the 8th inning came around, it was time to throw in the towel. Manuel put in the youngsters to get some work - Graffanino moved to short (from 2nd), Aaron Rowand moved from center to right, Aaron Miles was in at 2nd, Armando Rios in left, Willie Harris in center, and Jamie Burke at 1st (I thought he was a catcher?) At least Aaron Rowand got a homer after that, but we were just so far gone that it barely made a dent in the score.
So this was our last Season Ticket game of the year. I may have been giddy about getting an invoice for playoff tickets, but there's no way in hell we'll be here in October.
And thoughts already turn to next April... who on the team will still be there next year???
Damn, I'm upset...
(Boxscore) « hide the extended part of this entry
posted at 05:24 PM | Link | White Sox § |
Saturday, September 20, 2003
White Sox 1 - Royals 7
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Last weeks giddiness, excitement and hope have been replaced by misery and despair. The Sox were swept by the Twins and have fallen 3½ game behind them. It's impossible to catch them as they have an extremely easy schedule to finish the season. I fear hope is lost.
We go to "The Cell" anyway, as it's our last weekend games with the boys. The game started well with Frank Thomas's 41st HR of the year and his 93rd career first-inning HR. But that was all we'd come up with for the game. The offense wasn't there, the defense wasn't there, the pitching wasn't there. Esteban Loaiza, for the 3rd time, misses his chance on getting his 20th win and instead gets his 9th loss in 6 innings of work. We went through 4 pitchers in the 7th. The fans were restless and vocal, booing Billy Koch when he came in. Everyone didn't believe what they were seeing.
I'm disgusted and distraught. I fear that it's over. We're now 4½ games out.
Damn.
(Boxscore) « hide the extended part of this entry
posted at 09:42 PM | Link | White Sox § |
Thursday, September 11, 2003
White Sox 2 - Twins 5
There is ONE thing in my life that makes me feel American - Baseball. If you know me, you know that baseball is truly intertwined in my life, and there's nothing more American - to me - than baseball. So, I drove to Riverside, picked up Janie & Gary and we went to a ball game.
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It was really hazy today. It was in the low 80's and breezy. We all had a moment of silence - the quietest the park has been in a while. It was all reverent and poignant. I needed to be here.
Alas, the day should have been better. Esteban Loaiza was trying for his 20th win. Frank Thomas got his 40th homer of the season in the first, but our defense just flew apart in the third when Carl Everett had a throwing error that eventually allowed 2 then a third run to score when we actually had two runners trapped between the bases if someone was paying attention, and we're down 4-1. In the 4th, A.J. Pierzynski grounds to Brian Daubach at first who throws to second to get the lead runner Torii Hunter and Jose Valentin attempts to complete the double play by throwing back to first... only nobody is there. Daubach never went back to the bag and Loaiza was trying to get there... it was Valentin's 16th error of the season. Loaiza was never getting strikes over the outside corner of the plate for left-handed batters. It was frustrating him. In the meantime the Sox could never seem to get back into it. By the 8th, it starts to feel like Manuel is throwing in the towel... fresh off the DL and rehab, he brings in Billy Koch - who actually strikes out 2 and gives up a hit. Really, that's not bad. Manuel also brings in Jamie Burke to catch and Aaron Miles pinch hits. Jose Valentin hits what is barely a homerun in the 9th with 2 out, but we never get back in. It's over. Brad Radke pitched a complete game.
The Magic Number is still 17 - we are tied with the Twins for first. It should have been so much better...
(Boxscore) « hide the extended part of this entry
posted at 04:51 PM | Link | White Sox § |
Wednesday, September 10, 2003
Magic Number: 17
OK, folks, look... you have no idea how exciting this is to Chicago baseball fans... New York - you've had your subway series. Big friggin' deal. It's not like the Yankees or Mets have been out of contention for decades, so screw you right now...
The last time the White Sox and the Cubs have both been in First Place in September was...
1906
That's when the Sox beat the Cubs in the World Series. The third World Series.
The last time the Cubs won the World series was 1908. Since then, both clubs have finished behind the league winners by under 10 games together only twice.
Since 1940, both teams had winning records at the end of the season only five times.
This is a big deal!
So, here it is September 10.
White Sox Magic Number: 17
Cubs Magic Number: 19 (or, as the t-shirts say around "The Cell" - 911)
posted at 08:43 AM | Link | White Sox § |
Tuesday, September 09, 2003
Magic Number: 19
I was reading the sports section of USA Today and saw something that I had forgotten about:
Magic Number: 19
Wow. It's actually there in print. Normally, the Magic Number is something we always chased, but there it was.
It's September.
We're in First Place.
And we have a Magic Number...
posted at 09:10 AM | Link | White Sox § |
Sunday, September 07, 2003
White Sox 7 - Indians 3
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Can you say sweep? Yes, in what seems to be a rarity, the Sox swept the Indians. It was still scary, though. Danny Wright started the game. I'm not a fan of his. He hasn't impressed me as a starter and I wish that we went down to a 4-man rotation than stay at a 5-man with him in the mix. If he's in, he's only going to last a few innings. Today, he lasted 5 giving up 2 runs on 5 hits, 1 walk, but had 4 strikeouts. We went through 5 other pitchers after that. Scott Schoeneweis wound up with the win when he came in after Scott Sullivan gave up a single, double and a run on a sacrifice fly in the 7th (Kelly Wunsch had the 6th and was flawless. He had more in him and Manuel should have left him in just one more inning.) Frank Thomas smashed a game-winning three-run homer with two outs in the seventh (his 39th).
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posted at 10:29 PM | Link | White Sox § |
Saturday, September 06, 2003
White Sox 8 - Indians 5
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We're back at "The Cell" for an early (12:15pm) game against the Indians. What a gorgeous day for baseball - sunny, winds light and variable, around 70 degrees. This weekend the club is celebrating the team of the 1983 "Winning Ugly" White Sox that won the American League West title. Most of the 1983 team was there to throw out the first pitch (actually 1983 Cy Young winner Lamarr Hoyt threw out the first pitch to Carlton Fisk. Way cool.) The 2003 team wore those ugly 1983 uniforms and some of those people didn't look too good!
We started off strong with 4 runs in the 1st. We eventually gave up 5 runs by the 4th, but eventually got back into it, winning 8-5. Esteban Loaiza had 10 strikeouts and got his 19th win. We had homers by Carl Everett and Paul Konerko. Frank Thomas was 0-for-5 with 3 strikeouts leaving 4 on base. Ouch.
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posted at 04:44 PM | Link | White Sox § |
Monday, September 01, 2003
September BaseballIt's September. It's Chicago. Historically, this has been a bad month for baseball for us. The Cubs, even if they've shown hope and promise earlier in the season have usually faded by now, or are in the process of fading. The White Sox, if they haven't been contending in the first half of the season, are nowhere to be found, usually prompting fire sales or "white flag" trades.
Welcome to 2003.
As I write this, The Cubs are in third, 1½ games behind division-leading St. Louis and Houston. However, they're at home with only a .500 record at home, and are in the middle of a 5-game series playing St. Louis, so there could be some movement this week. In contention? Possibly.
The White Sox, having the day off, are now in first by 2 games, ahead of both Minnesota & Kansas City. The Sox have 25 games in 27 days coming up, playing 7 against Kansas City and 7 against the Twins, not to mention 5 against the Red Sox and 3 against the Yankees. Hopefully their 43-23 home record will help. In contention? Possibly.
This is rare, folks. If neither team makes it into the post-season, fans will be pissed but they'll eventually chalk it up to the state of baseball in Chicago.
If one of the teams make it, there will be some very ungracious slamming of the other team, their management, and their fans.
If both teams make it, all hell will break loose in this city and God help us all.
I'm giddy....
posted at 08:25 PM | Link | Baseball § |
Sunday, August 24, 2003
White Sox 0 - Rangers 5
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Three gorgeous days for baseball at "The Cell". But, alas, the streak is over. We got our hats handed to us today by John Thomson, who threw a complete game shutout with 1 walk and 6 strikeouts. Jon Garland had 10 strikeouts and 2 walks, but gave up 3 runs. Not much else to talk about. Nice weather, though. Disappointing outcome.
(Boxscore) « hide the extended part of this entry
posted at 04:04 PM | Link | White Sox § |
Saturday, August 23, 2003
White Sox 13 - Rangers 2
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Second day straight of gorgeous weather, and we get to spend it at a ballgame. "the Cell" was not as crowded as last night, but still pretty full. Still, a great night for baseball.
We knew Mark Buehrle wouldn't last long when he threw 17 pitches to Rafael Palmiero in the first, only to strike him out looking. A Rod was on first and was breaking to second on each of the last dozen pitches. He was getting winded!
It turned into another rout - 5 homeruns. Last night, Jose Valentin had 2, tonight he had one but Frank Thomas had 2. We also had homers from Joe Crede and Carlos Lee.
When the lights came up after fireworks tonight, we noticed that some damned friggin' idiot had run out onto the field and had 2 or three security guys on top of him. At least there weren't any players on the field. No matter what, this idiot should get fined and tossed in jail. I'm tired of that crap.
(Boxscore) « hide the extended part of this entry
posted at 09:40 PM | Link | White Sox § |
Playoff InvoiceGuess what I got in the mail today from the Chicago White Sox?
An invoice.
For playoff tickets!
Holy crap, I sort of didn't expect it. Since we're only Weekend Season Ticketholders, we don't get a full set of tickets. We get 3 AL Division Series games, 1 AL Championship Series game and 1 World Series game. World Series game! Oh, and parking, too.
I'm giddy. Now, I'm a realist. I'm not expecting to actually get to the World Series. But... how cool is this!!!!
Now all we have to do is scrounge around for the money.
PLAYOFF TICKETS!!! I must remember to not count my chickens...
posted at 03:08 PM | Link | White Sox § |
Friday, August 22, 2003
White Sox 7 - Rangers 1
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Tonight is Elvis Night at "The Cell". We don't normally go on a weknight, but it's Elvis Night at "The Cell"! What an absolute gorgeous night for baseball. There were the usual inpersonators outside everywhere on stages singing to the crowd.
The E Team jumped-in the American Flag during the National Anthem (performed by impersonator Ryan Pelton, dressed as Army-era Elvis). (Hey! I have a Windows Media Video of this for you here - 2.4Mb). After the game we had the Steppin' Out Dads and Shawn Klush with a mini-concert. The E Team did a night jump (complete with light-up jump suits), and then fireworks. Odd, crazy, fun night.
So, i guess this has become a little "ritual" with us. Carol hates Elvis, but we keep going. We had to go this year beacuse we were hoping to reclaim our same fortunes of last year, when we won the Sox Split Charity Raffle for $3,585. This year the pot was up to $5,496. (Attendance was 36, 311 this year compared to 27,988 last year.) Alas, we didn't win. Not even close. I blame it on Peggy, who was supposed to be at the game but I was unable to find her. Carol & I felt that she and Rob were our "Good Luck Charms" and we looked everywhere for them. (I suppose it would have helped if I knew what section, row and seat they were in.) I did however, run into my cousin Jane and her husband Richard, but (no offense) they weren't our Good Luck charms.
*sigh*
The ballgame itself wasn't that great. It was a battle of the "newbies" - Neal Cotts (0-0, 6.75 ERA, 8 IP, 2 G, 8 BB, 7 SO 7 H 6 ER) against Juan Dominguez (0-1 8.31 ERA 8.2 IP, 2 G, 2 BB, 9 SO 11 H 8 ER). BORING. White Sox get 7 runs on 5 hits. Ouch. Dominguez pitches a 5 2/3 inning 3-hitter on 87 pitches, with 5 runs (4 earned), 6 walks and 2 homeruns (Jose Valentin in the 2nd with 2 on & no outs and Frank Thomas in the 3rd inning with nobody on and 1 out). Sox still had two more homers (another by Valentin in the 8th off Joaquin Benoit, a solo with 2 out and Carl Everett also a solo off Benoit with one out). We got our first look at a new reliver that we just got in a Reds fire sale: Scott Sullivan. I didn't know he was a sidearm guy. He looked a little nervous at first but struck out A Rod and Palmiero (both swinging. Sweet.)
(Boxscore)
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posted at 11:45 PM | Link | White Sox § |
Sunday, August 17, 2003
The Prince Of Darkness at Wrigley
Holy effin'™ cripes... Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne just "sang" The Seventh Inning Stretch at Wrigley Field...
Oh. My. God.
Update: If you must, here's an MP3 for you. (1.71 Mb). You have to hear "Lets go out out to the ballgame" and you have to listen closely to hear the lyric: "I don't remember what I have to do..."
posted at 03:07 PM | Link | Odd § |
Wednesday, August 13, 2003
Flyers BaseballCarol has a company outing to see the Schaumburg Flyers tonight, se we went to socialize and watch some baseball. Before the game, the Flyers have tents set up for companies to use for their parties. We had some great Bar-B-Q pork with Famous Dave's sauce. Yummm.
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posted at 10:22 PM | Link | Baseball § |
Sunday, August 10, 2003
White Sox 5 - Athletics 1
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We're back at "The Cell" this afternoon and I have a Public Service Announcement: This is addressed to all those people out there that will be singing The National Anthem before a sporting event:
THIS IS NOT A FRIGGIN' AUDITION FOR AMERICAN IDOL!!! SING THE DAMN SONG!!!!!!
The anthem has a certain "pace" to it. Though difficult to sing, it does NOT need further embellishment. Sing it straight" and in the correct tempo!!!! The fans would be appreciative and I believe it shows more respect to the The Anthem, Flag, and Country.
Thank you.
We now return to the regular sports drivel... A much better game today. Oakland started rookie sensation Rich Harden. We saw him last month as the starter for the World team at the 2003 Futures Game during All-Star Week. We started Esteban Loaiza, who lasted 8 innings giving up only 1 run and 4 hits striking-out 6. Harden only lasted 4 innings giving up 2 runs and 6 hits striking out 8. We had 4½ inning of scoreless baseball and it was a real pitcher's duel. It was great and it was fun. Konerko & Everett had homers in the game.
Unfortunately, KC won so we're still ½ game behind them in second place.
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posted at 04:54 PM | Link | White Sox § |
Saturday, August 09, 2003
White Sox 2 - Athletics 7
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Back at "The Cell" tonight. We got there a half-hour early and I'm glad we did - there was 36,151 at the game, a crowd we don't normally see. Even though we felt OK walking to the park through the parking lot, when we got to our seats during Oakland's BP, the wind was whipping around the park and we were cold. We didn't expect that. It was bad enough that Carol had to go to the gift shop and buy some sweatshirts - which I never had to wear because the place seemed to warm up as the people came in.
The game was a disaster starting with the first batter. Scott Hatteberg hit a grounder to Konerko, who booted the ball. Jose Guillen bunted and got an infield single when Konerko juggled the throw. Then (after Chavez lined to short), Miguel Tejada hits one to left and Carlos Lee loses the ball in the setting sun. They went on to score three times in the inning, and one thing you don't let Oakland do is get into the game early. And all of those runs were unearned. Jon Garland had over 50 pitches in the 3rd, so he didn't last all that long - 5 innings with 95 pitches.
We were losing 6-0 in the 5th when we started scoring. We had the bases loaded and one out when we chased their starter Ted Lilly, which means he wouldn't get the win (since he didn't pitch 5 innings). So, they bring in a former Sox - Chad Bradford. When he was with us, I remember him having something like a three-quarter sidearm delivery. He's full underarm now. His knuckles, during delivery, are literally just inches above the ground - he's almost scraping them.
Anyway, we scored twice in the 5th and that was it. Bradford got the win. To add insult to injury, Billy Koch - formerly Oakland's closer - finished the game and gave up another homerun. Then Keith Foulke - formerly the Sox closer - mopped us up just fine. Hindsight is always 20/20, and this trade for this year just didn't work out. Koch: 50 G (48 IP), 5-5, 5.65 ERA, 11 Saves (of 15), 53 hits, 32 runs (30 earned), 10 HR. Foulke: 50 G (60 IP), 8-1, 2.40 ERA 28 Saves (of 32), 43 hits, 17 runs (16 earned) 7 HR.
*sigh*. Our time alone in First Place only lasted a day, and now we're a half game out.
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posted at 10:04 PM | Link | White Sox § |
Thursday, August 07, 2003
30 months of probation???The father of the shirtless father & son thug team the attacked Royals First Base coach Tom Gamboa last September was sentenced yesterday to 30 months of probation, community service, undergo addiction counseling, take part in parenting classes and remain under a 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. curfew for the next 90 days.
That's it.
This guy pleaded guilty to two counts of aggravated battery back in May. He and his son rush the field and start beating the crap out of Gamboa. Gamboa has a permanent hearing loss in his right ear from the attack. The guy's son was sentenced to five years' probation and 30 hours of community service but a judge has recommended he be sent to a prison boot camp following a probation violation.
The went onto the field of play and blindsided the coach, and all they get is probation. This is just so wrong. This sends all the wrong signals to the obnoxious drunks in the stands who get up the liquid courage to go onto the field. The judge cited the behavior of baseball players encourages fan violence at ballparks. Huh? A first base coach incited this? Here's a quote from Judge Leo Holt, known around the Cook County Criminal Court building, as Judge "Let 'Em Go, Leo" Holt: "What fan has not seen a pitcher intentionally hurl a baseball at a player's head at 90 miles per hour? Who has not seen a batter leave home plate headed for the pitcher's mound, bat in hand, bent on mischief and mayhem? ... [Baseball] ranks alongside mom, apple pie, hot dogs and Chevrolet. It is America's summer pastime. It teaches teamwork, sportsmanship and a host of wholesome and desirable character traits, but baseball is not immune from the frailties of human conduct.''
Now, as a side note, it's important to know that people have actually died because of how this judge has ruled in the past. He's had rulings overturned. In recent years he has complained that prosecutors systematically move high-profile murder cases away from his courtroom—because he has a reputation as being friendly to the defense.
(I wonder if the court date was done to coincide with Kansas City being in town again? I can tell you that having them back in town just seems to bring out the weirdness in Sox fans... thank God they don't allow the people with upper-deck tickets to have access to the main level... 5 people were arrested on Monday because of fights in both the right-field and left-field corners of the upper deck)
posted at 09:48 AM | Link | Baseball § |
Thursday, July 31, 2003
Penalty Box Police baseballTonight, Carol & I went to the Schaumburg Flyers game with a whole bunch of "Penalty Box Police" friends from the Chicago Wolves games. We did this last year and had a good time.
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It's not Minor League baseball - the Flyers are in the independent Northern League. Just like last year, the Flyers played the Joliet Jackhammers again. The game started slow - 3 innings in an hour. We were on the first base side and we could see lightning out in the distance to the north all during the game. Finally, in the 6th, it started to rain. You know that I just don't leave games, but tonight we did. I just wasn't into it. I was listening to the Sox-Royals game on the radio (I brought a color LCD TV with and watched a few innings, but with it being on a UHF station (26) and being far from downtown, the signal wasn't the greatest), and couldn't handle some of the bad fielding, pitching, running and hitting that I saw. I didn't feel too bad leaving early - we'll be here again in two weeks for Carol's company outing. We left when the Flyers were ahead 5-3. They went on to win 8-3.
(Boxscore) « hide the extended part of this entry
posted at 09:45 PM | Link | Flyers § |
Monday, July 28, 2003
Let there be light
OK, so I KNOW it's not baseball related, but they turned-on the lights at the newly renovated Soldier Field tonight for the first time to start a 100-hour test for aiming and color testing. I'll need to check this place out, but I can wait until next year...
posted at 10:37 PM | Link | Sports § |
Sunday, July 27, 2003
White Sox 9 - Devil Rays 1
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The drive to "The Cell" was quick, but dark. Dark, low-hanging clouds everywhere. The Dan Ryan looked wet. We got to the park, and forgot that it was a Willy Wonka Kid's Day, so even though we got there early, we had to park in Lot F (at least it's not Lot L). The park looked weird. It's noon, it's dark, and the lights aren't on. We walked around looking for emergency rain ponchos just in case we ran into some weather. The autograph sessions were over, when the rain started. Then it came down HARD. We had fled up the section to sit underneath the Club Level overhang, waiting for te game to start. There was a 36 minute delay, but the game started. The temperature dropped from about 83 degrees to 69 degrees and the wind was gusting up to 31 mph. Bartolo Colon was like the way I saw him on Tuesday. Rocco Baldelli had a solo homer in the first and Colon didn't throw a hit for the next 18 batters. He had 8 strikeouts and no walks. Offensively, the team was just the way I wanted to see them. I just wished we had some of these runs yesterday. We had home runs by Carlos Lee, Frank Thomas, and Aaron Rowand. Tony Graffanino had a brain fart in the fifth when we was playing 2nd - in a double play attempt he sailed his throw into the stands along the 1st base line. Colon took the mound in the 9th, and for some reason, Jerry Manuel pulled him before he could pitch. Jerry got BOOOED. Big Time. The crowd obviously wanted Bartolo to get a complete game. I mean he had a 3-hit, one run game, let him have the whole game. But Kelly Wunsch came in and gave up a hit, but had a strikeout. He hadn't played in a while and I totally agree with getting him some quality time. You know, the bullpen was kind of depleted, so this wasn't a bad move. I mean, some of the guys in the pen I wouldn't trust anyway. Odd coincidence in the game - Jose Valentin played short and batted 8th, while his brother Javier Valentin was the catcher and batted 8th.
(Boxscore) « hide the extended part of this entry
posted at 09:51 PM | Link | White Sox § |
Saturday, July 26, 2003
White Sox 6 - Devil Rays 10
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Back at "The Cell" for tonight's game. We're coming off an 8 game winning streak.... but you can't tell that tonight. Mike Porzio started the game... and lasted only 3 1/3 innings, giving up 4 runs and 2 home runs with only one strikeout. He got sent down after the game (for all we know, he was packed and gone by the time the game ended). I blame the loss on Jerry Manuel. I just feel he-mismanaged the game with the pitching staff. Porzio wasn't cutting it early, Rick White came in and did OK for a while, but ultimately got hung with the loss, giving up 5 runs. Danny Glover was fine, but Billy Koch didn't look all that good, giving up a run and 2 walks. He should never have been put in as a closer tonight - he hasn't earned that position as far as I'm concerned. In general, pitchers were left in too long, as if Jerry wanted them to prove something... and then they didn't and they were still in there. When Koch was failing, no one was up in the bullpen. It made me feel like we were conceding the game. We gave up 15 hits. Oh, and I'm not happy with Joe Crede, who dropped the ball in two different plays at third. I think we'd be better off with Tony Graffanino in the lineup. And Brian Daubach just seems to be a waste of a roster spot. On a night where KC and Minnesota both lost and we could have made-up a game in the standings, we instead are exactly where we were when the day started - 4 games out.
(Boxscore) « hide the extended part of this entry
posted at 10:36 PM | Link | White Sox § |
Friday, July 25, 2003
You're messin' with my life...Last week, Carol & I were soaking up the great vibes of attending Major League Baseball's All-Star Game festivities.
This morning, players reported to Training Camp. Football training camp.
I'm not ready. It's baseball season. My life's Baseball Clock is still ticking. My White Sox have just won 8 in a row as of tonight. (Frank Thomas hit his 400th career home run). Football won't exist for months for me.
Go away... let me enjoy my sport...
posted at 10:46 PM | Link | Baseball § |
Tuesday, July 22, 2003
White Sox 5 - Indians 2
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The day was just odd. No, I mean ODD. On a day where... Uday and Qusay Hussein are killed in a firefight, dark smoke billows from the top of the Eiffel Tower, and reports of a guy in Vienna who got a tounge transplant...
It was late and the weather was as odd as the day - it's the lattter half of July and it's in the upper 60's and the clouds almost look menacing.
I went to "The Cell" for an afternoon baseball game. My time at uemployment just got me to the park late. In the bottom of the first, I was on Wentworth at 35th, waiting at the stoplight right at the park when Frank Thomas hit his 399th homerun. He's now tied for 36th all-time with Al Kaline, and it was his 23rd of the season, and his 91st career first-inning home run (seventh in 2003). (Want to hear something weird? Houston’s Jeff Bagwell hit his 400th career homer on Sunday at Cincinnati, and Frank is just one away from 400. Thomas and Bagwell both were born on 5/27/68, were 1994 Most Valuable Players and hit two home runs apiece on Sunday! Weird, eh?) By the time I got to the parking lot Maggliio Ordonez hit his 19th of the season. By the time I got into the park, it was the bottom of the 2nd. Bartolo Colon, who has been 0-4 over his last 7 starts, gave up a lead-off double to start the 1st (to the left fielder Coco Crisp - please tell me that's a nickname... oh, good his real name is Covelli L. Crisp) and then retired the next 17 batters. He looked a hell of a lot better than he has been lately. He threw 111 pitches, 107 were fastballs (the others were two changeups, a curveball and a slider). Carlos Lee had a homer in the 6th, and that made 17 over the past 7 games for the team. With the win, the boys are now 50-50 - yes, that's .500. It's about time. We're 5 games out.
(Boxscore)
« hide the extended part of this entry
posted at 05:47 PM | Link | White Sox § |
Sunday, July 20, 2003
White Sox 10 - Tigers 1
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Back at "The Cell" for an afternoon game. It's in the low 80's, but the humidity is a killer. The game started-off a lot better than others recently. Tony Graffanino had a lead-off stand-up triple in the first. Frank Thomas had a homerun in the first, then got another in in next at bat in the third. He was up in the 4th but didn't get anywhere, so Magglio Ordonez homered for him. The Sox ad 5 home runs in the game (Paul Konerko and Jose Valentin had the others). Esteban Loaiza got the win with 7 innings of work, with 7 strikeouts. Now that is what I expected of this team against the Tigers. We should have been playing better all along... we need to turn the corner and get our act in gear.
(Boxscore) « hide the extended part of this entry
posted at 10:28 PM | Link | White Sox § |
Saturday, July 19, 2003
White Sox 6 - Tigers 2
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After a nice leisurely day, it's back to "The Cell". The remnants of All-Star week are fading: the star mowed into Center Field will be gone in a few more clippings, as well as the painted logos in front of the dugouts. The gift shops are re-stocked, this time with more White Sox trinkets instead of All-Star logo-emblazoned souvenirs.
The game, again, doesn't start well. In fact, Nate Cornejo had a no-hitter through 6 2/3 innings. Then Paul Konerko got a hit and the Sox get 7 consecutive hits. Tony Graffanino had a nice pinch-hit three-run homer. At least we got a good win out of it. The game was only 2:31 long, and the fireworks afterward weren't in the dark. I was home way before 10. I guess that happens when you don't hit.
(Boxscore) « hide the extended part of this entry
posted at 09:51 PM | Link | White Sox § |
Thursday, July 17, 2003
Long-timer old-timerWe always see him at the park. I mean always - almost like we can't get rid of him.
Now, he's done it again.
77-year-old Minnie Minoso stepped-up to the plate for the St. Paul Saints against the Gary RailCats (NOT an MLB affiliate - this is the independent Northern League, along with our local Schaumburg Flyers).
He drew a walk.
He has now played professional baseball in seven decades.
posted at 08:35 AM | Link | Baseball § |
Tuesday, July 15, 2003
MLB 74th All-Star Game
Another crummy day at work, another crummy drive into the city. The vehicle inspections seem a little bit more thorough. Gates opened at 4 for the 7 o'clock game. We had a long wait ahead of us, but we didn't care. It wasn't a wait - it was an experience.
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Batting Practice was another home run clinic. When the AL was up, we were talking to our buddies Janie & Gary, who were in the row in front of us but at the end of the row (Note to self: - never sit in the outfield again. The rows are 24 seats long and it's just too hard getting people in and out of the row and still be able to see the game. That's why we like our section for season tickets - our row has only 8 seats and we're on the aisle).
Anyway, we're talking when Ichiro is in the batting cage, He hits a homer that hits Janie's bag back at her seat, which was to our right. As we're yakking about that, he hits another one, a few rows down but just to the left of us. As we talk some more, we lose sight of the fact that he's still in the cage as a ball bounces off a seat directly in front of us, scaring the crap out of us. We started to pay attention after that, still talking to each other just keeping our eyes on the field.
After BP, the team went out to center field, where they took their Team Photos. THE NL then came out for their Photos, and went in to take their batting practice. Barry Bonds eventually hit the cage toward the end of practice and put one on the concourse behind us, and later bounced one off the beer stand on the concourse. Would have made more excitement if was during last night's Home Run Derby!
The crowd slowly trickled into the park. The Marine Corps Marching Band played in Center Field, until they brought in a HUGE friggin' US Flag that took up the entire outfield. The crowd is starting to get pumped now, as we get into the player introductions, which I think is a pretty cool part of the pre-game. Any Cub player got booed. Barry Bonds got booed. Jerry Manuel got booed (after all, the team went on an embarrassing 1-7 road trip just before the break and everyone thinks he should get canned). Why did the boo Roger Clemens? Because he's a Yankee? Or was it because he was named to the team at the last moment to replace Barry Zito? The crowd went NUTS when they introduced Estaban Loaiza. I mean, here was a guy that was a non-roster invitee to training camp and is now the starting pitcher for the All-Star Game in his team's hometown.
The Canadian National Anthem was great (I found out later it wasn't broadcast... God, I hate Fox). The American National Anthem SUCKED. It was lip-synced by Vanessa Carlton. She looked terrible, she couldn't hide the lip-syncing.
But... This is the All-Star Game. At my ballpark. I was there. It's the National Anthem. There's the huge, friggin' flag in Center Field, and then... The Blue Angles fly a couple hundred feet over the scoreboard toward homeplate, and I was friggin' shuddering and may eyes welled up and... crap, I was into it.
The game started and the crowd settled-in. Loaiza did well - one hit and one strikeout in two innings. Clemens came in for an inning and had two strikeouts. It wasn't until the 4th when Shigetoshi Hasegawa came in and the next thing we know, the AL is losing 5-1. Time to walk around the park a bit.
The crowd was different. That park was packed (47,609), but there's no, um, "riff-raff". I guess it's because the ticket to the game costs $150 a seat. Definitely a lot of people with money.
The souvenir stands, buy the end of the night, are stripped clean. I've never seen that before. Then again, I've never been to an event of this size or exposure.
Back at the seats, I can hear the hometown fans starting to do the "O-E-O Magg-lio" chant, to get him into the game. He finally got in the 7th and the crowd went nuts again. It was only a pop-out, but when he came out onto the field the next inning, the crowd goes nuts again and he has to turn around and acknowledge the fans. This is so friggin' cool...
The AL has a huge 3-run comeback in the bottom of the 8th and former Sox Keith Foulke (who was not booed) came in and saved the game.
(Boxscore)
We stayed as long as we could. Tonight, they chased us out and we had to use the closest exit instead of being able to walk around the park.
When we were walking to the car, we noticed some people gathered around behind the home plate area outside. We still didn't want to leave, so we walked over and saw... Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich signing autographs. Then over to the side,up against the building, we noticed a lot of video crews standing around. We wandered over and it was all Japanese media, all pooled together, waiting for what appeared to be a press conference or personal appearance or something (Ichiro maybe?) There were a lot all jammed together, basically silent, just waiting.
We waited for a long time and nothing happened. It was time for us to leave.
So came the end of our All Star experience.
It's a cliché, but I have to say - I will never forget it.
It was baseball. It was the best. It was in my town.
And I was there. « hide the extended part of this entry
posted at 10:51 PM | Link | Baseball § |
Monday, July 14, 2003
Gatorade All-Star Workout Day and CENTURY 21 HR DerbySo, after a bad half-day at the office, I went home, picked-up Carol, and drove down to "The Cell". Being a weekday, traffic on the Kennedy was a mess. We still got there just before the gates opened for the day. Today, however, was a new experience.
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All vehicles were being searched. We had to stop, open the trunk, and had police inspect inside the car. The real disturbing part, however, was a gentleman who scanned the car with a geiger counter. Once inside the park, you see more stepped-up security - lots of Chicago Police plus un-uniformed security with dogs (shepherds, so it was more attack and control than say a beagle for smelling for specific things). I saw people from different departments, including U.S. Marshals. It was the first time that I realized how big of a national event this really was, but there was this nagging feeling in the back of my mind - was there a specific or non-specific threat that warranted this much security?
The day starts with the Pepsi Pitch, Hit & Run National Finals. Hardly anyone is in the park to support the kids, but it was a nice event for them.
It was workout day, so the next event was American League and National League Batting Practice. Being out in the outfield is the perfect place for today's events. Unfortunately, Carol got bowled-over by a guy a few seats next to her who came our way after a ball that he wasn't too close to. She was pissed and yelled at the guy for slamming into her for a ball he couldn't get to. A brief ugly moment.
One thing that was noticeable - hardly anybody from the NL hit any homers.
At 7 o'clock, it was time for the Century 21 Home Run Derby. Now THAT was LOTS of fun. It started with another mini-concert - this time it was The Ataris playing their version of Don Henley's "The Boys Of Summer" (it started-off the ESPN broadcast). The place was pretty packed (only a few seats open), but, in general, people behaved going for balls. There was a ball that went into the section next to us, and all of a sudden a fishing net came out of nowhere and snagged the ball. The place went nuts, mostly because no one noticed the net before, and well, he used a net to catch the ball and not a glove.
Man, this week is so friggin' cool...
Bad day at the office, good night at the ball park... « hide the extended part of this entry
posted at 09:47 PM | Link | Baseball § |
Sunday, July 13, 2003
RadioShack All-Star SundayOur drive to "The Cell" wasn't bad, with the traffic being light, even around the ballpark. All of the park's "official" parking lots were "Coupon Only" (which we had), so it kept a lot of the traffic away from the area. Our coupon was for a different lot than our Season Ticket coupons, so we parked north of the park instead of south. That allowed us to view the outside of the park a bit better, and that's when I finally saw it. I don't know how long it's been this way, but it's now official. Gone was the banner that hung over the "Comiskey Park" that was carved into the concrete. It now says U.S. Cellular Field. Not because of a temporary banner - it was now carved into the facade. Damn.
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The park had minimal decoration. Center Field had a star mowed into it, and the All-Star logo was in front of each dugout. There was some new advertising on the outfield wall, but that was about it. No bunting draped from the rails. I guess that's only used for Opening Day and Post-Season play. I love bunting.
Security was definitely increased. In fact, down the lines where we normally sit, they moved the tiny little walls just slightly to allow security personal to sit on stools between the rail and wall and not interfere with the fans or the game. They didn't make the walls any higher (or safer for the players), they just moved them.
Of course, they needed more seating for VIPs, so they added 2 rows between the dugouts and the backstop, complete with a Plexiglas shield for safety.
We had tickets to the week's events, but, unfortunately, they were not our normal season ticket seats. Instead of being down the first base line, we're out in straight-away right field. All of our season ticket buddies were also out there... somewhere... strewn aomng the outfield sections. Our buddies Janie & Gary were at least in our section, in the row in front of us, but down at the opposite side of the section.
The crowd was not big, but it was scattered as if every seat was sold. It was RadioShack All-Star Sunday. The first event was the Futures Game. Top minor league prospects play a 7-inning game in a USA versus The World format.
Unfortunately, it was a bit boring.
You didn't know the players at all (though you knew their team affiliation). The play was slow. Pitching speeds were in the high 80's on average. It was minor league play. Good minor league play, but slow. It took about 2½ hours for a 7-inning game, that's how slow. In between innings, RadioShack was giving away prizes to fans either answering questions on camera, or just giving away stuff to entire rows of fans.
(Boxscore)
The game finally ended, and large flatbed trucks came onto the field and lined-up on the infield dirt. They were loaded with speakers and musical instruments. The band LIVE came out and played 2 songs (live, of course). I though this was a great way to have a quick concert without tearing up the field or having excessive setup & tear-down time.
They setup a temporary fence in the sort outfield to be used as the outfield wall for the All-Star Legends & Celebrity Softball Game. By now, a lot of people have left, and "Celebrity"? We're stretching things a bit. Trista Rehn (The Bachelorette) and Andrew Firestone (The Bachelor)? (From what I've heard, everybody was interested in meeting Trista.)
The game was fun but SLOW. The pause in between innings was almost as long as the inning. Since it was being taped to be shown after the Home Run Derby tomorrow night, I have know idea if the pausing was necessary.
By the end of the 5-inning game, there was hardly anybody left in the park. The game's MVP was Bo Jackson. Carol and I went down behind the plate after the game, trying to take pictures (very hard in a crowd and trying to keep still when in low light levels in a crowd is hard). The cool thing was that no customer service people kicked us out. Period. I have no idea how long we could have stayed there. Probably until the field was cleared.
We eventually took out time and leisurely left the park. What an odd feeling - it felt like we were alone. And this is All-Star Week. « hide the extended part of this entry
posted at 09:35 PM | Link | Baseball § |
Saturday, July 12, 2003
John Hancock All-Star FanFest
We drive downtown to McCormick Place South for FanFest. The walk from the parking lot takes almost 20 minutes. It's a HUGE hall, and it's full of baseball stuff. It's Not like SoxFest, with local vendors selling, well, "junk" and a few seminars and autographs. No, this is Baseball. This is Mecca. My Mecca.
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We stop at Home Town Heroes. It's a huge display area, just on the history of the White Sox, our own "legends" (OK, "Fan Favorites"), and a little history of the All-Star game at Comiskey. After all, the game originated there.
Next door was a large display on the Negro Leagues - uniforms in lockers, photographs, history. We were upset that we didn't see anything on Ted "Double Duty" Radcliffe.
When we left that exhibit, we noticed some mascots working their way through the crowd with a sign about a Mascot Home Run derby at 10. Well, we had to check this out.
They had built a small ball field in the middle of McCormick Place, "The Diamond". It was used for clinics and seminars. Now, it was used for the Century 21 Mascot Home Run Derby. Baseball mascots are a bit unfamiliar to us fans in Chicago. Sure, the Sox had some decades ago, but this is Chicago - you don't have mascots for baseball. Well, at least Major League baseball. A few were a bit "weak" as mascots go, but we fell in love with The Bird
from the Orioles and Lou Seal from the Giants. Anyway, the winner (Junction Jack from the Astros, now a two-time winner) won a dream clubhouse for a kid. (Sort of like a tiny version of the actual Home Run Derby where the winner wins a house for a fan.) It was an absolute blast watching this.
Off to more exhibits. THe National Baseball Hall Of Fame had items that weren't at the Baseball As America exhibit at the Field Museum. The items were a bit skewed toward chicago, but still was a nice representation of items that they have.
Next door was an exhibit by Major League Baseball that had all of the trophies and awards that they will be giving out this year, like the actual 2003 World Series Trophy, MVP Trophy, All-Star MVP trophy, Golden Glove, Silver Slugger... you name it, it was there.
There was an area where you can call famous plays of the game and get your own videotape copy. There was a place to get your very own baseball card made, in your favorite uniform, with your own stats.
We had to take a break, and fortunately there was a food area right when we needed it. (That's were I decided to call-in and Audblog for you).
We walked through the Cyber Game area, filled with baseball video games by all the manufacturers on different platforms. Lots of action there.
Then there was something that I never was exposed to when I was growing up - Card Flipping. Fleer had a place where you can have Card Flipping contests to win cards and T-Shirts. It was foreign to me - was this something that was done between kids to trade cards by winning them?
There was a Legends autograph signing are that not only had MLB legends (and local legends) but Negro league and women's baseball as well.
The other side of the hall were the interactive exhibits. The batting cages were busy. The video batting cages were REALLY busy. You can go into the cage and pick the pitcher you want to pitch to you. A video was played of the appropriate pitcher as viewed from the batter. There was a small hole cut in the screen right at the pitcher's release point where the ball would be delivered to the batter. We watched a 20-something step in and pick Greg Maddox. The kid steps in and Maddox appears on the video. He goes into his wind-up and WHAP the ball hits the back of the cage. It froze the kid who was startled and tried to shake it off. I don't think he was able to hit any of his pitches. The combination of the video and the ball delivery is VERY convincing. There was also a video pitching cage as well, where you can pitch to your favorite batter. That was very busy as well, with wait time of over an hour.
It was time to hit the store - Carol owed me a shirt, so we just had to stop. It was difficult to get out of that place without buying something. We were not successful - many things were bought.
But it was just outside the store where I found the thing I have wanted all my life. Louisville Slugger was making bats with your name on it! I had to have one! They laser-etch your name in there in front of you, and then a guy who is a fourth generation bat maker adds the paint to bring the name out. It was sooooo cool! My name on my bat. Wow.
We then walked through the vendor area. Again, a higher quality of stuff than I've seen at SoxFest. After all, these are people from around the country, not from just around the area.
It was time to go to Janie & Gary's house for a barbecue. I took one look around before we left. As I did, I realized something - I felt... different.
It wasn't until much later that I realized what it was.
I was happy. Happy. I haven't felt like that in a very long time. Baseball does something to me. It's in my bones, it's in my heart, it's in my life.
It is my life and I was happy. « hide the extended part of this entry
posted at 03:34 PM | Link | Baseball § |
Quick update from All-Star Fan Festposted at 11:42 AM | Link | Audblog § |
Wooo Hooo!!!! You know what starts today??????
Even though that it actually started yesterday, today is the first day of All-Star Game festivities for us!!!!
Yes, we have tickets to all of the All-Star Game events. Today is John Hancock All-Star FanFest at McCormick Place - 300,000 square feet of interactive games, exhibits, memorabilia, merchandise and other baseball-themed attractions.
And it all culminates with the All-Star game Tuesday night.
If you love baseball, this is going to be a great couple of days!!!!
posted at 07:39 AM | Link | Baseball § |
Thursday, July 10, 2003
Sausage Battery
At Milwaukee Brewers games, there's a weird little piece of Americana that happens between the 6th and 7th innings - the Brewers/Klement's Racing Sausages. Basically, it's 4 people dressed-up in sausage costumes the run a race. Hokey, yes, but somehow this just seems all-American, and All-Midwestern (if there was such a term), and is just part of the legacy of baseball that we see all over the minor league systems, brought forward to the major leagues.
Last night, however, turned... weird.
Pittsburgh first baseman Randall Simon was booked for misdemeanor battery for hitting the Italian Sausage as she went by the Pirates' third-base dugout. As the Italian Sausage went down, she took down the Hot Dog as well.
That's just not right.
(They both were treated at the scene for scraped knees.)
Oh, and the Bratwurst won.
Update: The sausages didn't want to file criminal charges, so the sheriff cited Simon with Disorderly Conduct and fined him $432.
posted at 07:19 AM | Link | Odd § |
Tuesday, July 01, 2003
Fine tuning the team
After watching the Sox game tonight, I'm starting to see a glimmer of hope with the team. Now, GM Kenny Williams has had a busy day making some trades that could make things interesting...
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Kenny traded minor league pitchers Royce Ring and Edwin Almonte and infielder Andrew Salvo to the Mets for Roberto Alomar, Sandy's brother. he's been described as "underachieving" this year, so, though I'm worried about his future performance this year, he's still a quality guy with a great past.
Now speaking of pasts, the Sox got a great player that, in generalities, could be described as a "head case" - they acquired outfielder-designated hitter Carl Everett from Texas, along with cash considerations, for players to be named later. (Texas will choose from a pool of minor leaguers, and depending on the players selected, they will either get two or three players.)
I'm really worried about team chemistry with this one.
Now, how do you make some room for these guys? The Sox designated both D’Angelo Jimenez and Armando Rios for assignment. The team has 10 days to decide whether to release the pair, trade them or option them to Charlotte, but I had thought I had heard that they were out of options.
Oh, I really want these to work out... « hide the extended part of this entry
posted at 10:58 PM | Link | White Sox § |
Sunday, June 29, 2003
White Sox 2 - Cubs 5posted at 04:07 PM | Link | White Sox § |
Sunday, June 15, 2003
White Sox 0 - Padres 1
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So, how do you celebrate Fathers Day? Why, you go to "The Joan" for Willy Wonka Kid's Day! (Hey, at least it made more sense than yesterday!) Now, today is finally a really nice day. This is baseball weather and it only took us until the middle of June to get there.
But is was another forgetful, painful game. Jon Garland pitched a 3-hitter and lost. Why? Run support, my friend. In a nutshell - 7 hits (including 2 lead-off doubles in the 4th & 5th), but we stranded 9 baserunners. Ordonez had one of the doubles - it was his 200th of his career. Garland threw a good game. He deserved better.
Oh, and Frank Thomas? He DH'ed today and was 0 for 3 with a walk. Now, do you think we would have won the game if he played First Base with all of those opportunities?
Here's some more pain - former Cub Rod Beck (who joined the Padres just two weeks ago after winning his release from a minor-league contract with the Cubs), earned his first save since Sept. 20, 2001.
Thanks.
Here's an interesting stat for you - The Sox have used 60 different lineups in 68 games, and they have not used the same starting lineup in consecutive games all season. Consistency? Not here.
I can't wait for tomorrow when the Red Sox are in town and Pedro Martinez pitches against this team. Who do we have on the mound? That would be our "ace" - Mark Buehrle who is 0-9 in his last 12 starts (2-10 total in 15 starts, 5.18 ERA). What a great year this guy is having...
(Boxscore) « hide the extended part of this entry
posted at 10:07 PM | Link | White Sox § |
Saturday, June 14, 2003
White Sox 6 - Padres 5
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So, how do you celebrate Flag Day? Why, you go to "The Joan" for Caribbean Night! (yes, I know, don't try to make any sense out of it). I knew it was going to be an odd game when we walked through the parking lot and saw two guys - one dressed in a parrot costume and another dressed in a shark costume. It's been 3 weeks since we've been to a game, and it's still not warm with that wind off the lake! We're at the trailing end of the Interleague games (or, as Carol calls them, "cross-pollination"). We finish-up with the San Diego Padres.
The game wasn't memorable. It was up and down, give and take for the whole game. It was a struggle. Three home runs tonight (Ordonez, Lee & Thomas), though. And Danny Wright didn't get a decision for his seventh straight start. "Jose Friggin' Valentin" (as our friend Janie likes to call him) got stupid again and was thrown out by about 40 feet when he tried stretching a double into a triple in the 3rd inning. Am I a happy Sox fan? Not in the least. The boys have failed me this year, for absolutely no explainable reason.
They, quite frankly, suck.
Let me vent on one specific issue: Frank Thomas. This arrogant bastard has just about downright refused to play first base, wanting to focus on being a DH. Two issues: this year; he's been crap as a DH. Then on top of that, statistically, he performs better if he's playing first base. It's like his head is actually in the game with each pitch and he involved, instead of being isolated in the dugout, maybe taking a few swings in the cage under the stands, and eventually going up to the plate and usually popping-out. Great. It makes me question where his loyalty really is - to the team or himself.
When we last saw Frank three weeks ago, he was batting .253, 18 RBI, 9 HR's 34 walks, 32 strikeouts. His slugging % was .487 and his on-base % was .403. Yeah, this is a good DH.
Jerry Manuel started playing him at first base a few games before and throughout Interleague play. Since then, he's hit in 15 of his last 16 games, going 22-for-57 (.386) with 17 RBI, 6 doubles, 7 HR's, drew 10 walks - his on-base % was .485 and his slugging % was .860. Just because his head is in the friggin' game. Thanks for contributing to the crappiness of our season. Any side bets that he doesn't remember any of this when he's back DH-ing and his stats slide again?
Anyway, tonight was Caribbean Night, sponsored by Jose Cuervo, who gave away White Sox beach towels and handled the fireworks. Lots of Caribbean music, everyone is dressed up (or I guess dressed down is more appropriate) and every one is a lot mellower. It's a Jimmy Buffet night. In fact, they're selling parrot hats at the souvenir stands, that I just had to buy for Carol. I don't think she was all that appreciative. (Check it out in this video (4.74 Mb AVI File - 320x240 15fps 18 seconds)) We had a calypso band concert after the game with the local Parrothead Fan Club supplying the dancers in the background. Odd, but fun.
(Boxscore) « hide the extended part of this entry
posted at 10:31 PM | Link | White Sox § |
Saturday, June 07, 2003
Baseball collisionI actually had the Cubs game on the TV. That wasn't scary enough, but what I saw happen on the field was really scary. It's the top of the 4th Inning, 1 out, a 1-0 count on Jason Giambi, who pops up the next pitch. The popup is in the infield, in front of the mound. Kerry Wood sort of goes for it, but first baseman Hee Seop Choi comes in to make the grab. The two of them collide, and when Choi comes down, his head bounces hard off the the foul line dirt between 3rd and home. Well, he looked like he was out (as in unconscious). The trainers rushed out there and got in his face to see if they could get a reaction (I couldn't really tell), then they place a hand on his chest, sort of to make sure he was breathing and they took his pulse (carotid and wrist). He looked in really bad shape. They opened-up the big doors in right field and brought in a Fire Department ambulance (fortunately, there's a firehouse a few doors across the street and a few doors down from the left field corner). They eventually got him on a gurney, got him in the ambulance, worked on him a while, and they finally left. It shook up the teams and the fans. You never want to see a player get hurt. Oh, BTW, he held onto the ball for the out.
Update: He's in fair condition with a concussion.
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posted at 01:26 PM | Link | Cubs § |
Friday, June 06, 2003
8 GamesChicago Cubs outfielder Sammy Sosa has been suspended for eight games for violating Major League Baseball Rule 6.06 (d) in a game against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays on June 3, 2003, Bob Watson, Vice President of On-Field Operations, announced today.
Sammy immediately appealed the suspension, allowing him to play in what is being described as a "historical" series against the New York Yankees. Hmmmm... it's supposed to rain this afternoon...
Update: Yankees 5 Cubs 3. Sosa 1-for-4 2 strikeouts. (Boxscore)
posted at 11:35 AM | Link | Baseball § |
Tuesday, June 03, 2003
Corktroversy
So much for going to bed early... it's all over the news. In fact, lead story on each of the newscasts: Sosa ejected after cork is found in shattered bat. First inning of the game tonight (Boxscore), Sammy Sosa comes to the plate with Alex Gonzalez on 2nd and Mark Grudzielanek on 3rd, and with a 3-2 count from former teammate Jeremi Gonzalez he hits a ground ball to 2nd and his bat explodes. Sure enough, there's cork in it. Sammy is ejected.
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Rule 6.06
A batter is out for illegal action when ...
(d) He uses or attempts to use a bat that, in the umpire's judgment, has been altered or tampered with in such a way to improve the distance factor or cause an unusual reaction on the baseball. This includes, bats that are filled, flat surfaced, nailed, hollowed, grooved or covered with a substance such as paraffin, wax, etc. No advancement on the bases will be allowed and any out or outs made during a play shall stand. In addition to being called out, the player shall be ejected from the game and may be subject to additional penalties as determined by his League President.
OK, now look: I do not follow the Cubs (I have chosen to follow the other Chicago Baseball Franchise). I really have never liked Sammy. Yes, he does hit home runs. Well, in my eyes, that's all he's good for. He just came off the DL last Friday (he's only played in 39 of 55 games this year) and his team did absolutely fine without him. His Fielding Percentage has been at or below the league average for years. He has 47 strikeouts for those 39 games (an average .340 per at bat, compared to .258 for all of last season) and he only has 6 homeruns - his last was May 1, and he's batting 283. Since coming back, he's 2 for 15 in the three games he's been in, with 8 strikeouts (5 of which came in one game). He hasn't been the same since getting beaned on April 20 (broke the visor on his helmet, even) by the Pirate's Salomon Torres. It's clear that he's struggling now.
No matter what happens, the man is now tarnished. It doesn't matter if the bats that Major League Baseball security confiscated last night all turn up un-doctored. Because of this one incident, everything he has done and everything he will do will have a question around it. (Update: MLB tested 76 bats, all were "clean").
Here's the thing that just bothers the hell out of me.
He admits to using a corked bat. ("It's a mistake, and I take the blame for it.") That's the good thing - he actually owned-up to it. OK, fine.
But why the hell is he using a corked bat to begin with? He claims that he uses a corked bat "for exhibition and batting practice".
OK. Exhibition. Like, Home Run Derby at the All-Star Game? (And, you know, I was looking at that bat he used in Milwaukee at that event last year and it has this weird-ass knob on it - identical to the one tonight.) Yeah, that's fair. I mean, nothing is really on the line, but was everyone doing it? If not, it's not fair. It's not fair to the competition, it's not fair to the fans. Period.
Batting practice? "...To put on a show for the fans." What? Hey, shouldn't you be more concerned with how you're swinging, your timing? Concerned with placement and consistency? Wouldn't you want to use a heavier and not a lighter bat to warmup with than what you use during the game? BP is actually The Sammy Sosa Show???
So, he admits to owning and using corked bats. Are they marked? Wouldn't he know he was using an illegal bat? He doesn't make an effort to keep the illegal bats away from the ones that he can use? Or is this going to come down to blaming it on the bat boy?
What it now boils down to is this: can Major League Baseball believe him? Can the fans (other than the ones sipping the Cubs Kool-Aid) believe him? And if there's any doubt that he may, just may have used a corked bat in the past, then what about the valiudity of those home run races he was in for few seasons, or his career 505 home runs?
And what about punishment? - a suspension should be levied. It says so in the rules. He damn well better not get a pass on that. And I don't want to hear "After all he has done for Chicago baseball..." bull crap. Punish him. Period.
And here's the next big leap... if you have trouble believing that he never used a corked bat before, then you call into question his integrity about what he says about how he plays the game. And, if you have that doubt, can you still believe he is innocent of using steroids or other performance enhancing drugs?
See what I mean when I say that this one public incident has the potential to tarnish him?
So, punish him and move on. Oh, and knock him off his pedestal. He's a human for cripe sakes. A human that cheated - intentionally or unintentionally. And after his latest non-hitting streak, and the way the Cubs have played without him - I say they really don't need him.
(BTW, here's an odd coincidence: umpiring crew chief Tim McClelland who ejected Sosa also was the umpire who took away a home run from Kansas City's George Brett of the Royals at Yankee Stadium on July 24, 1983 because of excessive pine tar, and was on the umpire crew for the Albert Belle corked bat incident at Comiskey Park July 15, 1994!) (That one was the weird one - Umpires took the bat to their dressing room before Indians Pitcher Jason Grimsley crawled across the ceiling and switched Belle's confiscated bat with one belonging to teammate Paul Sorrento.) « hide the extended part of this entry
posted at 10:24 PM | Link | Baseball § |
Wednesday, May 28, 2003
One down, one to goWilliam Ligue Jr. pleaded guilty to aggravated battery against Kansas City Royals coach Tom Gamboa last September 19th at Comiskey Park (yes, back before "The Joan", at TPFKAC™). Now, lets see what happens to Ump Jumper Eric Dybas.
posted at 04:52 PM | Link | Baseball § |
Sunday, May 25, 2003
White Sox 8 - Tigers 5 - 12 innings
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Back again at "The Joan", this time a bit earlier than normal. Carol and I had to drive into the city to pick up my mom on the way to the park. We're spending the rest of today and tomorrow at my sister's house in Michigan. Sort of a family thing. The main reason for getting to the park early was so that I could go on the field before the game to take some pictures. Today was Fuji Film Photo Day and the first 3,000 fans got to go on the field and take pictures of the players. We all just stand out on the warning track and the coaches and players go by and you get to take pictures of them (but, please, no autographs - slows the line down too much). Hey, I'll take any excuse to get onto the field legally. If you want to see them, are are my pictures from Fuji Film Photo Day. There were two guys that I noticed that were missing: Bartolo Colon who is serving a 5-game suspension, and Carlos Lee who got hit in the head last night.
Back in my seat before the game I had noticed that Carlos Lee was actually in the lineup! The game itself started out pretty well for Danny Wright, but in the top of the 4th he allowed home runs to Kevin Witt and Eric Munson on consecutive pitches in the fourth inning and it just felt like the nightmare was going to continue. Bottom of the 5th, and we're losing 3-0. Then Joe Crede gets hit by a pitch, Joe Borchard singles to right and D'Angelo Jimenez walks. With a 2-1 count against him, Carlos Lee launches a 439foot homerun deep into the stands in left, his second Grand Slam of the year (not bad for getting beaned in the head the night before!). Kelly Wunsch came in at the top of the 8th. He must have had too much fun during Photo Day, because he proceeds to give up a double, hit a guy, walk the next guy, strike out the next guy, but gives up a sac fly to right center scoring two of the runners. Tom Gordon comes in, gives up a single and the game is tied 5-5.
Because of family commitments, we leave the game after the bottom of the 9th and start our trip up to Michigan. We, of course, listen to the game on the way.
In the bottom of the 12th, Graffanino gets a hit, Konerko walks, and Joe Crede has a walk-off home-run, and the Sox avoid a sweep 8-5.
(Boxscore) « hide the extended part of this entry
posted at 04:07 PM | Link | White Sox § |
Saturday, May 24, 2003
White Sox 0 - Tigers 1
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Back at "The Joan" on a blustery night. The temperature was tolerable out in the parking lot, but inside the park the wind is swirling and has a bite to it. This is the friggin' Memorial Day Weekend and I'm still freezing my ass off at this park! There's a good crowd - (if you call 27,535 a good crowd) - mostly here for the fireworks after the game and the free Wilson Fielder's Gloves for kids. The night starts as a pitching duel between Gary Knotts and Esteban Loaiza. What nobody expected was the Sox losing in a 1-0 shutout. To the Detroit Tigers. A one-run-loss for the second night in a row. This team is in serious trouble. The Sox were held to 3 hits. 3 hits and 5 left on base. (Nice to see that new hitting coach Greg Walker is working out so well - nobody on the team is now hitting over .286.) Carlos Lee got beaned in the helmet in the 7th (and went down hard - he was in pain) and even that didn't spark the team. Loaiza gave up 4 hits, only 1 run on 5 strikeouts - but had 4 walks - and his ERA goes down in the loss (to 1.92). Hitting? Forget it. Joe Borchard (called-up on Thursday and the 5th starting center fielder for the team) walked in 8th, and Jerry Manuel lets Frank Thomas (who was sitting out) hit for Miguel Olivo. Oooooo. Like that is going to help. Wrong - it's the 2003 version of Frank Thomas. He strikes out. And that summarizes the play of the team. The crowd was pretty upset from the 6th inning on, booing the end of the inning and getting louder each inning.
You know things are bad when, after the last out in the 9th (a double play thanks to my favorite player (not) Brian Daubach (.185) (why the hell is he on this team???)) a kid throws his fielder's glove out onto the field. A kid.
The fans are pissed. This is the friggin' Detroit Tigers. If the Jerry Manuel watch hasn't started yet, I thought I heard a stopwatch ticking after this loss. I know people are saying Fire Sale - I believe in the players. I know what they can do. I know what they're capable of - we've seen it in the past. I I just don't understand why they're not performing.
(Boxscore) « hide the extended part of this entry
posted at 09:55 PM | Link | White Sox § |
Monday, May 19, 2003
White Sox 2 - Blue Jays 12
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OK, so you're not feeling well. What do you do? Why you go seek the heeling powers of The Church of Baseball. We went to "The Joan" tonight (OK, this is a stretch - I'm calling TPFKAC™ "The Joan" right now because Joan Cusack is the spokesperson for U.S. Cellular, and I still can't call TPFKAC™ U.S. Cellular Field, so calling it "The Joan" seems twistedly appropriate.)
What a wonderful night! The weather is actually really nice (73 degrees), hardly a breeze. Soooo much better than the last game we were at. Unfortunately, in that last game the Sox lost 12-2. Who would have known that tonight's outcome would be the same! No hitting, no pitching. I have no faith in some of the starters (Dan Wright?), and less faith in the middle relievers (Rick White?). And I'm still trying to understand why we have Brian Daubach on the team (no speed, no arm). For a team that was supposed to take the division, we have nobody batting over .300 (D'Angelo Jimenez is the closest at .299, but Paul Konerko at .214?) So, the Sox fire hitting coach Gary Ward (we were hitting .249 and a paltry .228 with runners in scoring position) and brought up Greg Walker, hitting coach for Triple-A Charlotte the past two years. He's the fourth hitting coach under Jerry Manuel (who, BTW, got thrown out in the 5th for arguing a fair ball call at third, in one of his most animated tirades I've seen out of him - though the last minute and a half you just knew he was looking to get tossed). If Jerry is still here at the end of this series, and we lose the next series (against lowly Detroit), I say he's gone. Another great night night for a baseball game - too bad the team didn't show up to play.
(Boxscore) « hide the extended part of this entry
posted at 10:59 PM | Link | White Sox § |
Friday, May 16, 2003
Yes! The motto of my life!
Tonight, Carol & I were at Galyan's shopping for walking shoes. We passed through the department of baseball clothing and it just jumped right out at me! I saw it on the rack and it called to me. Too bad it was a kids size, but there it was - a t-shirt with a basball on it and writing around it. After 46 years of my life, I finally found the shirt that said what I've been saying here about my love of baseball and my "clock".
Life begins when the season starts
posted at 09:46 PM | Link | Mundane § |
Monday, May 12, 2003
American StoriesI was looking for something to watch while I was on the computer tonight, trying to clean-up some email. Usually on a Monday night I'd probably watch Crossing Jordan, but just couldn't get myself to watch that Three's company movie on NBC. I switched over to Channel 11 (our local PBS affiliate), and saw that Ken Burns American Stories was on. They were broadcasting "Inning 6" of his Baseball series. I hadn't seen this series in years (it was originally broadcast in 1994). I love looking back at baseball. I just love baseball, I can't help it. Watching this just makes me feel good. Baseball showed everything that was right with America... at least as it was up to about 30-40 years ago. It makes me feel whole. I can't explain it. (Was I a ball player in a prior life? Why do I feel good at a ball park? Why am I drawn to this game?)
posted at 10:07 PM | Link | Mundane | 1 comment § |
Saturday, May 10, 2003
Live from Baseball As America audblog audio post
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This morning, after all of the rain, Carol and I head into the city to pickup Barry & Buffy to go to the Field Museum to see a special exhibit - Baseball As America. It's a traveling exhibit from the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum that's there from February 8 to July 20, sort of to coincide with the All-Star Game. It's the first time that some of the artifacts have left the Hall of Fame for a tour. This was a wonderful exhibit. A must see for any baseball fan. It'll be touring the country for another 2 years, so see if it's coming anywhere near you (If you're in NY or LA, you're out of luck - you missed it). People spent a long time at each exhibit piece looking, reading, talking. They just soaked it in. I can't tell you how many men I saw there that, at one time or other in the exhibit, were wiping their moist eyes (myself included). It really showed how baseball mirrors life in America. I just can't say enough about the exhibit.
We didn't stay too long at the museum. The sun had finally come out and we took a walk around the Museum Campus. Though the sun was out, the breeze off the lake made it feel a little chilly.
We then drove to Stanley's Kitchen & Tap on Lincoln for dinner. We're talking "comfort food" here - fried chicken, pot roast, meat loaf. A great bar, too. (A very large whiskey selection).
Then it was back to B&B's to discuss our Florida Trip. We'll be in Orlando for a week starting June 21. We wanted to make some dinner reservations for some specific places (like Emeril's Tchoup Chop). Then we were off to get home and collapse. « hide the extended part of this entry
posted at 01:48 PM | Link | Mundane § |
Saturday, May 03, 2003
White Sox 2 - Mariners 12
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Let me preface this by saying that there was no way in hell I was staying for the whole game. I have never done this. I get there early for BP. I stay until the final out. I love baseball. I was so friggin' uncomfortable at the park, I couldn't stand it. I would have toughed it out, but I'm just too friggin' tired of watching the teams that I follow just roll over and not show up to play. We were losing 6-0 after 2 innings (and one hour of play!). Gametime temperature was 56 degrees and going down, winds blowing in off the lake. It was too damn cold. I just couldn't watch the the boys lose in that weather. Since they gave up, I gave up. I made it home in enough time to watch the 9th on TV at home. Sorry, boys. You sucked tonight. Not only did Seattle get 12 runs, but they also stranded 11 runners. Way too many guys on the bases.
Since tomorrow is the same team, the same weather but windier and rain, and the ESPN Sunday Night Game instead of a day game, I just can't give you my support tomorrow night. I'm skipping the game and trying to rest-up a bit. Hope you have a good game - for a change.
(Boxscore) « hide the extended part of this entry
posted at 09:21 PM | Link | White Sox § |
Friday, May 02, 2003
Wolves 0 - Griffins 2 - Western Conference Semifinals - Game 4
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The team was up to the challenge. At the end of the first period, it's a scoreless tie. OK, we're not losing. At the end of the second period, it's a scoreless tie. OK, we're still not losing. It's a tough fight. The, with 1:57 left in the third, the Griffins score. We pull the goalie for the extra attacker, and the Giffins score and empty-netter.
The Wolves lose. The season is over. The Calder Cup leaves our hands for destination unknown. It was nice having it.
And now, we bid adeau to our friends at the Allstate Arena. Until next year.
(Boxscore) « hide the extended part of this entry
posted at 10:41 PM | Link | Wolves § |
Thursday, May 01, 2003
Wolves 1 - Griffins 2 - Western Conference Semifinals - Game 3
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OK, here's where we stand: The Wolves played the first two games of this series in Grand Rapids. On Monday, they lost 4-3 in overtime. Tuesday, they lost 3-1. Grand Rapids is the Number 1 seed (48-22-8-2), and we knew this was going to be hard. I just wanted the guys to take one of the games. It seems like this team just wants to dig a hole and then claw their way out of it.
Which brings us to tonight.
Ten minutes into the game and we're losing 2-0, one of which is a shorthanded goal only 1:11 after the first goal. They're not playing well at all. A lot of weird calls by Craig Spada (one each side for diving). We get a power play goal toward the end of the first. The second period starts and the boys have more energy and are much more aggressive, outshooting them 14-6. OK, we can still pull this out. Third period rolls around, and the energy and aggressiveness is there, but wanes. It looks like they "don't want it." A bunch of players aren't seeing what's going on and actually look like they're not participating. Toward the end, it's a bunch of passing and no shooting. We go 6-on-5 - nothing happens. In fact, we can't keep the puck in their zone. Last 30 seconds - the crowd (3,110) is booing.
We lose, we're down 0-3 in the series. This team cannot win 4 games in a row against Grand Rapids. The next game is tomorrow - will it be the last one for us this season?
(Boxscore) « hide the extended part of this entry
posted at 10:24 PM | Link | Wolves § |
Wednesday, April 30, 2003
Fog Delayposted at 07:51 PM | Link | Baseball § |
Sunday, April 27, 2003
White Sox 3 - Twins 1
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What and absolutely gorgeous day for baseball. It's the first Willy Wonka Kids Day of the year, so during the Twins' batting practice, the entire White Sox team was out on the field signing autographs. New this year - autographs for kids 13 and under only - no adults. That pissed-off some autograph seekers. We were at our seats, way before the start of the game, when our friend Teri came over! She and Mark and Joey and Danielle got company tickets for today's game (they were 3 sections over and 10 rows up). Teri looks great. We haven't seen her in a while (since the Wolves game). We have to get together again soon. The game started out with a rare occurrence: Jerry Manuel got thrown-out of the game for arguing a call at first base. Estaban Loaiza is still coming up as the surprise of the pitching staff - 7 innings, 6 hits, but only 1 run. He's 5-0 with a 1.25 ERA. And in another rarity - Brian Daubach stole home on a double steal - first time since '96 for the Sox. Sox win the series, so that's a good thing... though they're still 4½ behind Kansas City...
(Boxscore) « hide the extended part of this entry
posted at 04:29 PM | Link | White Sox | 1 comment § |
Saturday, April 26, 2003
White Sox 7 - Twins 4
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Back at TPFKAC™ for our first official night game with fireworks. The fireworks, instead of being assembled on the asphalt in the player's parking lot, are now on top of scaffolding, about 5 or 6 sections high. The fire marshall allowed them to do that so the Sox could keep the outfield seats open (they had to "evacuate" and close them for the fireworks over the last few years). The game is moving along OK. Jon Garland is actually pitching OK after quite a few horrible starts. Yesterday, a few guys got hit. In the bottom of the 5th, Ordonez gets hit in the back (after getting hit in the 9th last night) after hitting a home run in the 4th. (BTW, Frank Thomas homered before Maggs, and had a homer yesterday. go, Frank!) When the top of the 6th comes around, Garland hits Doug Mientkiewicz, and gets immediately ejected - without warning. Well, that sent coaches running out of the Sox dugout, followed by the rest of the players, which was followed by the Twins dugout, and before you know it, the bullpens empty... no fighting, just a lot of yelling and posturing... but Garland gets thrown out as well as center fielder Armando Rios as well as the Twins' reliever Latroy Hawkins. haven't seen that many players on the field since the Detroit debacle a few years ago. Anyway, Garland did well - struck-out 5 guys on 4 hits (OK, 2 were home runs), so he was performing well for a change. This meant that we had to get someone from the bullpen, even though no one was warming-up. They brought out Tom "Flash" Gordon. You know this is a problem when a security guy on the field lays his head back and rolls his eyes when they announce Gordon. Well, he came out and pitched 2 1/3 1-hit 3-strikeout innings. A very nice performance. Then the closer - Koch - comes in for the 9th and gives up a 2-out 2-run homer from pinch hitter Cuddyer. He may be good, but damn this guy is scary.
the fireworks, well they're not as good. You can tell they're further away, and it just feels "bare" without any fireworks inside the park. I don't know, I just don't like it. The new sound system is a plus, but it's just the same old fireworks all from one location that feels further away.
(Boxscore) « hide the extended part of this entry
posted at 09:59 PM | Link | White Sox § |
Tuesday, April 22, 2003
Wolves 3 - Bears 2 (Overtime) - Western Conference Quarterfinals - Game 5
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WOW. I really didn't think that we'd win tonight. The Wolves lost game 3 in Hershey and I really thought that was it. then, on Sunday, somehow the Wolves won 6-0. I still don't know how that happened - especially when Dan O'Rourke refereed the game. Tonight - Dan O'Rourke is there again. Great. Hershey scores first, we tie it up. The game was just too even. We were never really in control.
Odd thing happened in the first few minutes of the 2nd period - they were running birthdays on the matrix boards, and when it came to this 15-year-old- girl, all her friends that were with her started screaming. Well, not screaming as much as it was screeching. This screeching hits a crescendo just as the Wolves are crossing the blue line to attack - and the next thing you know everybody stops. The officials look at each other. the players look at each other. Next thing you know, O'Rourke is skating over to the off-ice officials and there's a little commotion in the box. Nicole the usher goes down and then takes off. It turns out that the players and officials stopped play because they thought the screeching was a whistle. (I have to give O'Rourke props for this game - although he was in the middle (as in, in the way) of two plays, he called an even game and let the boys play.)
We score again in the second, but Hershey ties it in the third, and we end regulation in a tie. I stood up during intermission and looked around at the faces of everyone on our side of the stadium. There was no look of confidence. There was hardly a fire in their eyes. Nobody had a good feeling about going into overtime with this team. I talked to Bob and Kevin and we all agree - we think Steve Maltais shouldn't play in the overtime. He looks tired, he's old... we haven't been happy with his play at all. Same with Rob Brown, who's retiring after 16 years. Last year, during the playoffs, the Wolves faced elimination four times, and each time got the win.
This time, at 1:20 into the overtime, after we swarm their net, Maltais scores the game winning goal, knocking Hershey out of the playoffs. Our next foe: the Grand Rapids Griffins with a best-of-7 series starting up there on Monday.
(Large video of the celebrating from our seats - AVI 37.3Mb 148 seconds)
(Boxscore) « hide the extended part of this entry
posted at 10:39 PM | Link | Wolves § |
Field of Morons
Carol told me about this article in last week's Trib that I didn't see, so I had to find it and read it online.
Oh, this so pisses me off... The Skutnik brothers said they did it because they love the game, and only meant to excite the crowd when they partially disrobed, leapt from the stands and raced across the playing field Tuesday night at U.S. Cellular Field.
Whaaaat??????? Excite the crowd??? It's illegal, you friggin' moron! "You go to a game to have a good time. You just want to pump up the crowd," he said.
"I love the game. I just wanted to be close to the baseball players," said Tom Skutnik, 20. "The game was awesome. We ran out on to the field, it felt good with everybody rooting us on." Of course, during the interview, they're wearing Cubs jerseys and hats... and the Ump Jumper (Eric J. Dybas, 24, of Bolingbrook) is a Cub fan, too... A close friend and roommate, Tony Consalvo, 21, said he was surprised by the accusations leveled against Dybas, who he said is an avid Cubs fan. Consalvo said Dybas isn't usually the type to cause trouble, especially on Tuesday's night's scale.
"Every once in a while, when he gets a few beers in him, he acts a little bit nutty," Consalvo said. "He's a cool guy. He has a lot of talk in him but he usually doesn't do anything about it." A little bit nutty... well, at least these idiots are banned from the park now...
posted at 10:01 AM | Link | White Sox § |
Sunday, April 20, 2003
White Sox 4 - Indians 7
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Ouch. Back at TPFKAC™, and in the first inning, our ace Mark Buehrle gives-up back-to-back home runs. I wonder if he's ever done that before? Well, I don't panic yet since it's only in the first. He hasn't given up more than two runs in any of his first four starts. Maybe he just needs to settle down. Well, he doesn't. He gives up 7 runs in 4 1/3, and his ERA goes from 1.57 to 3.27. Today was the day I wanted pitch count - and it's not on the scoreboard! The pitch speed is back. (I need to talk to somebody about this...) Our offense wasn't that stellar either, considering their pitcher Jason Davis had an ERA well over 8.00. Well, now it's down to 6.97. Ordonez now has a 16-game hitting streak, and Carlos Lee hit another homerun - he's hit one in his last 4 games. You can see it in his swing that he's got that mindset that he's going for the fence. 14,975 paid - was emptier than that for an Easter Sunday. We've never been to the park on Easter, but it does call to mind the opening of Bull Durham and The Church of Baseball: I believe in the Church of Baseball. I've tried all the major religions, and most of the minor ones. I've worshiped Buddha, Allah, Brahma, Vishnu, Siva, trees, mushrooms, and Isadora Duncan. I know things. For instance, there are 108 beads in a Catholic rosary and there are 108 stitches in a baseball. When I heard that, I gave Jesus a chance. But it just didn't work out between us. The Lord laid too much guilt on me. I prefer metaphysics to theology. You see, there's no guilt in baseball, and it's never boring... which makes it like sex. There's never been a ballplayer slept with me who didn't have the best year of his career. Making love is like hitting a baseball: you just gotta relax and concentrate. Besides, I'd never sleep with a player hitting under .250... not unless he had a lot of RBIs and was a great glove man up the middle. You see, there's a certain amount of life wisdom I give these boys. I can expand their minds. Sometimes when I've got a ballplayer alone, I'll just read Emily Dickinson or Walt Whitman to him, and the guys are so sweet, they always stay and listen. 'Course, a guy'll listen to anything if he thinks it's foreplay. I make them feel confident, and they make me feel safe, and pretty. 'Course, what I give them lasts a lifetime; what they give me lasts 142 games. Sometimes it seems like a bad trade. But bad trades are part of baseball -- now who can forget Frank Robinson for Milt Pappas, for God's sake? It's a long season and you gotta trust. I've tried 'em all, I really have, and the only church that truly feeds the soul, day in, day out, is the Church of Baseball.
( Boxscore) « hide the extended part of this entry
posted at 04:15 PM | Link | White Sox § |
Saturday, April 19, 2003
White Sox 12 - Indians 3
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Back at TPFKAC™. We get to the park way early, but that's OK. Today is Dog Day, so we head over to Gate 1 to watch everyone arriving with their dogs. Carol just loves this stuff - she gets to see dogs, pet them, guess what they are (She's good) After an hour, we went inside. It's our first time in our seats, since it was so frggin' cold the last time we were here. We didn't know what to expect today, so we over-dressed a lot - it was 71 at gametime. The parade of dogs before the game was a blast. (Here's a quick video - it's a 13-second 3.91Mb AVI.) We got to experience another new item at the park - a new sound system. Louder, clearer, wider frequency response. Much better. During the game, we notice something else - a spot on the scoreboards in the corners for pitch count! Unfortunately, it replaced pitch speed (no more radar gun), and it's just a total pitch count - no totals for balls or strikes. Well, at least it's something. I want it all (total, balls, strikes, and speed).
The game itself is crazy. By the end of the first, we're winning 6-0. By the end of the 5th, we're winning 9-1, and only one of those runs are earned. Cleveland has 4 errors. We have one - a throwing error on Stewart, the pitcher, which was not even close to 1st base and went into right. (It was so bad, Konerko, on 1st, never made an attempt to try to catch it.) Carlos Lee looks like he's just swinging for the fences. He's not being patient at all. Of course, in the 8th, he meets Aaron Myette a former White Sox pitcher, and tags him for a 3-run homer.
We used to hate going to the Cleveland series. That was back when they sold out Jacobs Field and people drove from Cleveland to come to the game. Again, loud and extremely obnoxious and arrogant fans. Those days are gone - they don't sell out, they're not that good, and hardly anybody makes the trip any more. Now, if I can never see the prick of a Cub fan sitting in front of me that was obnoxious (who was giving customer service guys grief for having his ticket checked - get used to it asshole, that's the way it's gonna be from now on, thanks to The Ump Jumper), I'll be happy. His buddies were trying to apologize for him, but he just got louder and louder. Bastard.
(Boxscore) « hide the extended part of this entry
posted at 05:02 PM | Link | White Sox § |
Friday, April 18, 2003
Of knuckleheads and bobbleheadsWell, the Chicago Tribune has picked-up on the Ump Jumper in "Of knuckleheads and bobbleheads" and the potential promotions that they would like to see at TPFKAC™:
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- Half-Wit Wednesdays. Those who act like they have IQs of less than 50 get in for half price.
- Alsip Night. A shirtless William Ligue Jr. throws out the first pitch -- then is cuffed and led off the field as the fans roar.
- Fujifilm Mug Shot Day. Get in a scuffle with security and get a free portrait.
- Idiot Bobblehead Giveaway. Authentic novelty item featuring The Guy Who Attacked The Umpire Tuesday Night (First 5,000 kids).
- Dog Day/Rowdy Night. Let the rowdies run onto the field, then have fans turn their dogs loose to chase them down.
- Turn Back the Clock to Al Capone's Chicago Week. Players would wear Borsalinos, black jerseys, white ties and fake scars.
- Sox Players Bet Against Themselves Friday. A nod to the glory days of 1919.
- Handcuff Night. First 5,000 adults to run onto the field during the game get a commemorative bracelet.
- Smirnoff Ice Half-Price Tuesday. Fans who bring a drained six-pack get in cheap and get to sit next to the visitors' dugout.
- Royals Appreciation Day. Kansas City players and coaches charge the stands.
- Hooligan Demolition Night. To chants of "Hooligans suck," Steve Dahl sets off a fireworks display that shoots rowdies high above the White Sox's exploding scoreboard.
« hide the extended part of this entry
posted at 04:46 PM | Link | Baseball § |
Wednesday, April 16, 2003
Ump Jumper Top 10
Dave just isn't letting it go... again... just like last time. Tonight's Top 10 List:
Top Ten Excuses From The Guy Who Attacked The Umpire
10. "I thought it was 'Attack A Defenseless Umpire Night'"
9. "Let's see you drink 15 beers and not do something stupid"
8. "Look at all the endorsements the shirtless father and son lunatics got"
7. "I wanted to impress Royals shortstop Angel Berroa"
6. "Umpire? I thought he was a vampire"
5. "It was Royals-White Sox game -- somebody's gotta make it exciting"
4. "You never heard of a little thing called 'spring fever'?"
3. "Pete Rose bet me I wouldn't do it"
2. "You're just not yourself when you've got shingles"
1. "From my angle, he looked exactly like Uday Hussein"
posted at 11:07 PM | Link | TV § |
Wolves 3 - Bears 5 - Western Conference Quarterfinals - Game 2
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Well, this game sucked. The boys played flat, without emotion, without determination. We had a 10-game home playoff streak (since last year) that was broken. They looked tired and a bit confused. Hershey was just faster & Stronger. We went through both goalies and still couldn't stop them. There was one, intense moment in the 2nd when, being down 4-1, we had just a long beat-'em-up-shoot-the-hell-outa-them series of plays that got us 2 more goals, but we came out in the 3rd pretty much like we were in the 1st and went nowhere. Even at the end of the game, when we had a 6-on-4, 2-goals down, we couldn't even get on the board. Can somebody say "Wake-up Call"?
(Boxscore) « hide the extended part of this entry
posted at 10:06 PM | Link | Wolves § |
The Ump JumperWell, the Chicago Tribune has dubbed the idiot last night the "Ump Jumper". Seems apropos. The haven't charged the idiot yet. But it also seems that the fallout has just begun: Kansas City general manager Allard Baird told The Kansas City Star his team would not take the field Wednesday unless he was satisfied with the security. Royals spokeswoman Chris Stathos said Wednesday the team would report to the stadium, but that the decision to play would be made at game time. Oh, great. This is escalating just because of a bunch of punks that just don't get it. The Cubs' GM has a great point: "You still couldn't prevent a person, one lunatic or whatever you want to call it, from trying to get his 10 seconds of fame. I don't think you could ever say you're going to prevent it completely in any stadium: football, basketball, baseball, whatever," he said.
posted at 02:16 PM | Link | Baseball § |
Tuesday, April 15, 2003
No!!!! Not Again!!!
Nooooo!!!!!! Kansas City comes to town to play the White Sox... and another fan jumps out of the stands, this time he attacked first base umpire Laz Diaz. Shades of the Tom Gamboa attack by the shirtless father and son team last September. Know what's the pisser??? This was the fourth time during the game when fans ran out onto the field!!! We are soooo screwed. I wouldn't be surprised if Major League Baseball made a formal complaint, or at least a request, to get the whole security "thing" under control before the All-Star Game rolls into town. This just so pisses me off. These weren't baseball fans. these weren't Sox fans. these were assholes that decided to go to a baseball game and just screw around. Well, buddy, I hope your ass gets thrown in jail for a while. Stay the hell out of my park!
Note: I blame the White Sox for this. Look, I know these kind of "fans" exist at Wrigley, but you don't see this happen nearly as often. Why? The design of the park. The walls are brick, usually a good height, and depending where you are located, your seats may be a bit above the ground, all making it difficult to get onto the field. A few years ago, in their zeal to squeeze more revenue from the fans that actually show up at TPFKAC™, the White Sox added rows of seats down each line. By doing that, they brought the level of the seats down to field level, and put up a rail that - if you stand right next to it - hits you below the knee. That's right - to get onto the field, all you have to do is step over a rail that is only as high as your knee. WTF???? Who the hell's idea was that? Well, guess what? There's more fan incursions now than there used to be - gee, I wonder why??? So, White Sox, what are you going to do about this??? I am sooo pissed...
posted at 10:00 PM | Link | Baseball § |
TPFKAC™Look, I'm going on record here... I can't get myself to call that place US Cellular Field yet. It's still Comiskey to me, so cut me some slack until I "transition". Maybe I should be calling it "The Park Formerly Known As Comiskey™" or TPFKAC™.
posted at 12:43 PM | Link | White Sox § |
Monday, April 14, 2003
No Bull?One of my favorite baseball movies has got to be Bull Durham. There's so much in that movie about how I feel about the game. Great quote, great storyline. Well, The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum located in Cooperstown, New York was going to hold a celebration April 26-27 marking the 15th anniversary of the movie. Notice the word "was". I am ssoooooo pissed. Why? They canceled the celebration. OK, now why did they cancel???
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"In a free country such as ours, every American has the right to his or her own opinions, and to express them," Hall of Fame president Dale Petroskey wrote to Tim Robbins in calling off the anniversary party. "Public figures have platforms much larger than the average American's, which provides you an extraordinary opportunity to have your views heard - and an equally large obligation to speak and act responsibly. We believe your very public criticism of President Bush at this important - and sensitive - time in our nation's history helps undermine the U.S. position, which could put our troops in even more danger. As an institution, we stand behind our president and our troops in this conflict."
WHAAAAAATTTT?????????? And then, he's got to re-state this in a press release????
April 11, 2003
STATEMENT BY
Dale Petroskey
President, National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
The Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York, is a special place. The Game’s greatest players, managers, umpires, and executives are honored here, and it’s where The Game’s rich history is preserved. Those who have served in the U.S. military are also honored here. Active duty and retired military personnel receive free admission, and last Memorial Day, a plaque was dedicated to honor the 64 Hall of Fame members who have served this country in the armed forces during wartime.
As much as The Hall of Fame honors our armed forces, this institution should never be used as a platform for public pro-war sentiments – nor public anti-war sentiments. Given the track record of Tim Robbins and Susan Sarandon, and the timing – with our troops committed in Iraq – a strong possibility existed that they could have used The Hall of Fame as a backdrop for their views. Mr. Robbins and Ms. Sarandon have every right to express their opinions. But The Baseball Hall of Fame is not the proper venue for highly-charged political expressions, whatever they may be.
So, he censored them before they even had a chance to speak, even though they weren't going to say a damn thing about the war???? This celebration was about a friggin' baseball movie!!!!
Robbins said this week that he had planned to talk about baseball, not the war and politics.
"This was just a celebration, a chance to see some friends from the movie and make what's become almost an annual trip with our boys," Sarandon said.
"As far as I knew, we weren't speaking. I wasn't even planning to wear makeup. And to politicize baseball is to violate the spirit of what it's all about," she said.
Damn you all to hell, President Petroskey.« hide the extended part of this entry
posted at 10:26 AM | Link | Current Events § |
Sunday, April 13, 2003
Wolves 3 - Bears 2 - Western Conference Quarterfinals - Game 1
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So, the AHL Playoffs begin. The Bears are quick and, at times, aggressive. The Wolves played flat, never keeping the pressure up. Passing sucks, as it has all year. On power plays, they need to shoot more and quit playing that ticky-tacky passing drill crap. It just burns the clock and they seem to never come away with a score, even on a 5-on-3. Not a very impressive win. 3,318 in attendance - better than the first round last year. Of course, we have to suffer through the entire playoffs with those damn Thunder Stix as promotional giveaways.
(Boxscore) « hide the extended part of this entry
posted at 06:06 PM | Link | Wolves § |
Wednesday, April 09, 2003
All-Star Game Tickets
I got home from work to find... an invoice from the Chicago White Sox. there it was - my invoice for All-Star Week tickets. Yes, the whole week: Radio Shack All-Star Sunday (All-Star Futures Game and Legends and Celebrity Softball Game), Gatorade All-Star Workout Day (All-Star Batting Practice and Century 21 Homerun Derby), and, of course, the 74th MLB All-Star Game, parking for each day, and tickets for the John Hancock All-Star FanFest at McCormick Place.
Because we've only got weekend season tickets, we won't be in our normal seats (since there's three season ticket packages occupying the same seats), so we will be out in Section 105 - Right Field. Downside: not out normal box seats, a bit further away from the action. Upside: WAY COOL LOCATION for the Homerun Derby!!!!
I've got to get this invoice back to them with some money...
posted at 06:19 PM | Link | Baseball § |
Monday, April 07, 2003
Bye bye Jerry... not gonna miss ya
One of the two most hated sports executives in Chicago, Chicago Bulls General Manager Jerry Krause, quit today. Lots of mixed emotions in the community about this - a lot of players loved him, but I don't know of a single fan that didn't hate the guy. The fans won't miss him, and maybe, just maybe, the Bulls can start getting their act together.
posted at 07:10 PM | Link | Bulls § |
Sunday, April 06, 2003
Wolves 4 - Rampage 6
Holy crap, are we tired...
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Carol and I get to our seats right after the doors opened and just about fell asleep, waiting for our buddies to arrive and the game to begin. The last game of the season, and not a great crowd - 6,244. And then we find out who's ref-ing the game: Dan O'Rourke, the same guy that we had problems with last month. This can't be good. Well, actually, it's not too bad. He's doing a pretty good job and he's letting the teams play. Good. We're losing 3-2 after 2 periods, and there's been a few nasty fights. You can tell that things are really getting to these teams, especially when there's fights after the horn sounds for the end of the period. The 3rd period rolls around and something happens. Somewhere along the way, O'Rourke starts calling bad penalties and totally ignoring others. The fans are in an uproar. But it's not only us - the broadcasters don't understand what he's doing and are at a loss for what's going on. Coach Anderson is livid and is an interesting shade of red. Dallas Eakins does a no-no: he starts waving a white towel like an Iraqi trying to surrender, and that gets him thrown out with a gross Misconduct penalty. Things got bad. The conspiracy theories fly - why does the AHL have against us? Anarchy ensues.
But - there is one thing that holds everything together. The game means nothing to the Wolves, but it means something to Steve Maltais. In the course of the game, he manages to get a Hat Trick (all power play goals), which ties him for the all-around scoring champion of the AHL. When the Rampage had the game in hand, Coach Anderson let Maltais stay on the ice to try to get the one point he needed to the scoring title. Coach even pulls Maracle for an extra attacker to help out (though it cost another goal in the empty net). Then, with 5.6 seconds left in the game, J.P. Vigier got a goal with an assist by Rob Brown and Steve Maltais, giving him the one point he needed to get the John B. Sollenberger Trophy as the leading scorer in the American Hockey League for the 2002-03 season.
San Antonio outshot us 37-25 (we only had 4 shots in the 2nd period). But, the seeding gets shook-up and we won't see them in the first round. Our first Quarter Finals playoff game is next sunday against the Hershey Bears.
And then it's time to leave the arena, drive home and collapse. I hate this time of year when hockey ends when baseball begins. Was a good time, though...
(Boxscore) « hide the extended part of this entry
posted at 09:23 PM | Link | Wolves § |
White Sox 10 - Tigers 2
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Oh, this feels like it's getting old... straight to the Stadium Club again, as we wait to rescue more people from the cold. Janie and Jeff showed up and we rescued them and brought them upstairs for a little buffet, sandwiches, desserts and drinks in the warmth of the club to watch the game. Unfortunately, the end section of the upstairs area is dead - meaning no PA, no TV's. Hopefully, that will get fixed soon. Anyway, what a great start for Josh Stewart. It was his first Major League appearance, and he went 6 2/3 innings. He gave up 7 hits and 2 earned runs, and had only one strikeout, but it was a good start. Now, when he got pulled, it was 1-1, with one man on that scored to give the Tigers the lead. Well, when the bottom of the 8th came around, the Sox scored 9 runs in the inning and won the game 10-2.
(Boxscore) « hide the extended part of this entry
posted at 04:20 PM | Link | White Sox § |
Saturday, April 05, 2003
Wolves 4 - Rampage 3
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San Antonio really matches-up pretty well with the Wolves, which is not necessarily a good thing. No one scored on power play chances on either team. The boys were up 4-1 after 2 periods, and almost blew the game in the last 5 minutes of the game and we barely got out alive. After the game was what has now become the annual "Shirts off their backs" promotion, where fans, over the course of the season, won the opportunity to get a game-worn alternate jersey from a player, on the ice, after the conclusion of the game. (I just can't imagine how they smelled...) It's also Fan Appreciation weekend, so every got a scratch-and sniff card... wait... that's scratch-and-win card to get Wolves merchandise trinkets, and some good stuff up to a trip to Las Vegas. No good winners for us, though. Very sad on the way out of the arena - tonight was the last Adopt a Dog night of the season and we saw at least one dog that didn't make the cut. Was somewhat sad seeing the dog and it's handler looking a little depressed. End of the regular season tomorrow with same team... should be interesting, as it looked like there was quite a bit of tension out there. Also, the Wolves have 98 points for the season - would be nice to finish with 100, though it will mean absolutely nothing for the seeding in post-season play. the Rampage, on the other hand, could fall from their 5th spot (we're 4th) and we may not play them in the first round (and, after looking at tonight's matchup, it could be a doosy of a series that we may not get out of successfully).
(Boxscore) « hide the extended part of this entry
posted at 10:21 PM | Link | Wolves § |
White Sox 7 - Tigers 0
OK, so would you trade your 37 degrees and cloudy with light rain for 32 degrees and partly sunny?
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I admit it - I wimped out. We went directly to the Stadium Club once we got to the park, and parked ourselves on some seats with a view to watch the game. Just couldn't do it. Walked around briefly before the game to see all of our buddies in our section and let them know we were here but upstairs. It didn't feel too out there without my coat on, but game time temperature clocked-in at 32 degrees and winds at 15 mph.
I was disturbed yesterday that I didn't hear the usual stadium announcer Gene Honda. When I didn't hear him again today, I just had to go to Customer Service to find out what was happeneing. It turns out that Gene is doing NCAA tournements, so he was unavailable for the weekend. *Whew* - I mean, he's the "voice" of the stadium and not the person who was there that sounds like Tom Schaer (I think it really was Schaer).
The game was great. Mark Buehrle pitched a good game - 8 innings, 3 hits. Rick White cleaned-up in the 9th and we had a shutout - 7-0.
(Boxscore)
And it's off to go home and peel-off the layers of clothing we had put on so we can put on our jerseys and go to the Wolves game. « hide the extended part of this entry
posted at 04:20 PM | Link | White Sox § |
Friday, April 04, 2003
White Sox 5 - Tigers 2
OK, this was NOT fun. The traffic was much lighter than I had expected, so we got to the park 1 hour before the 3:05 game time. It's cold, windy, raining.
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We go up the ramps and walk out onto newly rehabbed outfield concourse, only to find still more cold, wind, and rain. The tarp is still down on the infield. We walked around a bit, checking out the new signage over the aisle entrances, complete with plants in hanging baskets. The rehab looks good - all of the concession stands look better, with brick facade, aluminum counters, awnings and signage. The new Mitsubishi Diamond Vision in the scoreboard looks gorgeous. The even replaced the old matrix scoreboard in left with a new one, which now has a better display of the lineup and inning-by-inning scoreboard.
Carol & I part ways for a bit, as I want to take some photos in case the game gets called. I meet-up with our buddy Jeff, who's also walking around the outfield concourse. Eventually, we meet the rest of his group and all of us go huddle in the main concourse, waiting for the rain to die down. We wait. And we wait. Jeff & his crew split, and Carol and I finally meet-up with our other buddies Janie & Gary. Again, we go under and wait. We decide to see if we can find Jeff on the other side of the park, so we go over there and wait. And look. And wait. (I think by now, you get the picture.) It's dark outside, the lights aren't on yet, and there's this blinding flash of light and loud crack of thunder - like the lightning strike was just on the other side the park. This goes on for a while. It starts getting lighter outside. The grounds crew pulls the tarp back - just to empty it and puts it back. There is now a huge lake in short centerfield. But Roger Bossard knows how to build a drainage system for a park, and sure enough, within 10 minutes, the tarp comes off permanently, and the game finally starts after two friggin' hours. We're cold and uncomfortable before we even get into our seats in the outfield.
It's cold. At least it's stopped raining. But a two hour rain delay means an additional two hours of drinking for those absolute friggin' idiots of fans that only show up on opening day. You know the type - usually in their 20's, usually male, usually not giving a damn about the game, just having a grand friggin' time drinkin'-swearin'-spittin'-partyin'. I'm sure Cub fans are used to it - we don't see idiots like this at Comiskey... Ooops! Crap. I Mean - U.S. Cellular Field. Yes, their signage is everywhere. They even have a Cellular Store at the Park. Cripes.
Game time temperature was 37 degrees with 22mph winds. Yech. Esteban Loaiza looked really good in his start, giving up only 3 hits in 6 2/3 innings. The team really needed to play Detroit to get the feel back to what it's like to win (They were 0-3 after getting swept by Kansas City). Also Billy Koch gets a nice solid close, striking out the side in the 9th (after his really poor showing in Kansas City).
(Boxscore)
After the game, we all went over to Janie & Gary's for dinner and drinks. We get home way too late to start-off our 5-game weekend (Sox-Sox-Wolves-Sox-Wolves). « hide the extended part of this entry
posted at 11:58 PM | Link | White Sox § |
Monday, March 31, 2003
Baseball at workI've got RealOne Player open and listening to MLB Gameday Audio of the White Sox season opener in Kansas City. Of course, I don't like the content (we're losing), though the quality is fine. Opening Day at the office... ahhhhh...
Update: Royals 3 White Sox 0
posted at 03:36 PM | Link | Baseball § |
Sunday, March 30, 2003
Can you hear that? It's my clock! It's ticking again!Well, at 7:16 PM CST, all became alright in my little, twisted world. Why? Because at 5:16 PM PST, John Lackey pitched a ball to Doug Glanville, and the 2003 Season of Major League Baseball is underway. Aaahhhhhh... baseball...
Update: Final - Texas 6 Anaheim 3
posted at 09:57 PM | Link | Mundane § |
Saturday, March 29, 2003
Wolves 2 - Bears 2posted at 10:11 PM | Link | Wolves § |
Saturday, March 22, 2003
White Sox Open HouseWell, here it is spring, and it's only fitting that Carol & I head down to Comiskey park for a Season Ticket Holder Open House for the team to show-off what they're doing inside the park for renovations.
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Lots of workers are outside, painting the ramps and the backs of the scoreboards. The ramps are all dark gray - the color that they're using for all of the concrete everywhere inside the park, darkening up everything. Speaking of darkening, they're painting the backs of the scoreboards and advertising black, to match the black light towers and black roof over the upper deck. The Open House takes place in the Stadium Club areas, as well as part of Club Level, which is good since we haven't been out there yet. Club Level was rehabbed last year and it's gorgeous. It's all climate controlled now, with doors at each of the aisles, and carpeted. They had one Club Level exit opened, so you could go outside and look at the changes.
The first change you notice, of course, is the main scoreboard. I was shocked! It was dark green! Could somebody have been listening to my lamenting? (I've always hated the blue seats and blue trim everywhere. The blue, with all of that concrete, made the place look like a giant swimming pool. All they needed to do was change everything from blue to green and the place would start looking like a ballpark.) The next thing you notice is the huge jumbotron that replaced the old one as well as the other lighted matrix boards in the main scoreboard. The only thing in that scoreboard now (other than advertising) is the jumbotron.
The next thing you notice is that there's something in front of the scoreboard. Above the Batter's Eye, on what was a large plaza last year, is now a large brick concession stand with a "Fan Deck" (read "Beer Garden") on top. This could be interesting. Looking around the outfield concourse, you notice that all of the changes they made to the main concourse are being extended out there - brick, canopies, new signage and new beer stands that look like they have pergolas on top of them. There are new scoreboards that are on the facade of the upper deck that are supposed to be LED boards that span over 300 feet, to be used for advertising, announcements, and I imagine, scores and statistics. All of the facing concrete had been painted gray. The entire park looked darker, so it's got to be easier on the players now to be able to pick up the ball when it's hit (they've always complained that the ball would get lost in all of the concrete and it was hard to see it - the ball and the concrete were very close in color).
Roger Bossard had come back from Spring Training to get the field into shape. He was running his little steamroller over the infield dirt, getting that ready. The field, quite frankly, didn't look all that great. You can see all of the patching from last season and the repairs from the rolling Stones concert. Oh, and it wasn't green either. How was he going to get it green in 13 days?
The other obvious thing - is what hasn't been done - there's not a single sign that says U.S. Cellular Field. It still says Comiskey Park everywhere. Let's see how they obliterate the name in 13 days.
It happened to me again. I was standing out on the Club Level ramp, just looking at the field, and I could leave. The weather was OK (not stellar - no sun, but hardly any wind), and I was comfortable being out there. But there it was, that damn pull of a ballpark. I just wanted to stay, look at the field, watch Roger tend to the dirt and grass. I don't get it - I just love baseball so much, that I didn't want to leave. Weird. It was just so... comfortable. Like an old robe. It just surrounds you and comforts you. Damn. Weird.
We ran into our buddies Daryl & Karen who brought 3-month old Payton with them. What a bruiser, but what a cutie. It was nice seeing them before opening day. « hide the extended part of this entry
posted at 01:52 PM | Link | White Sox § |
Friday, March 21, 2003
Wolves 3 - Americans 2 (Overtime)
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The 9th overtime win of the year. this is getting old. We had the lead 1-0 since the first, but lost the lead in the third. We didn't look all that good out there, and at times almost looked lost. Good energy, just lost. Our buddy Bob showed-up at the game during the second intermission - being a Chicago cop, he was downtown "handling" the protesters. He came directly from his assignment, still dressed in his riot gear, but with his Wolves jersey on. (Actually, he stopped at home to leave his gun).
Another scary moment happened in this game. Jeff Farkas went screaming down the ice and got a little shove by a Rochester player, which caused him to tumble, and go down. He hit the boards at the end head first hard. the ref was right there and immediately stopped play, though he looked OK. His helmet was knocked back on his head. He went off under his own power and didn't return. He's lucky. It turns out he has a cracked vertebrae in his neck, but has full mobility and full feeling in his extremities.
(Boxscore) « hide the extended part of this entry
posted at 10:47 PM | Link | Wolves § |
Saturday, March 15, 2003
Wolves 3 - Phantoms 2
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Back watching the Wolves tonight. First thought: Philadelphia is fast and we have defensive problems. Way too much time in our zone. Very scary part in the Third Period. Francis Lessard checks Jim Vandermeer into the boards at the Wolves bench. Vandermeer hit the partition at the end of the bench where it meets the glass. He is rocked - goes down hard. You can visibly see him twitch at least twice as he's on the ice. Play continues and moves into the Phantoms zone. Vandermeer is in trouble. He tries to get up and barely can. You can see it in his eyes - there's nobody home. Play is still going on. The trainer rushes over to him. Play starts to leave the Phantoms zone and starts coming back don the ice when a linesman finally blows the whistle. Why? Not for Vandermeer - Too Many Men on the Ice because the trainer is trying to help the guy. Scary. Vandermeer is helped off and never returns. This guy was definitely in trouble and play needed to be stopped. Instead, Philadelphia gets a penalty for trying to help this guy in trouble. Later, after a little rough play in Philadelphia's zone, Vandermeer's older brother Pete Vandermeer screams across the ice after Lessard and starts hitting him. He doesn't get the best of Francis, and he gets 17 minutes worth of penalties and is out the rest of the game. On the way out, Pete Vandermeer takes a few swings with his stick at a fan. Ugly. Tonight was the 2nd night of the St. Patrick's Day Jersey Auction. Odd bidding - the new guys are going for $1,000 but the older vets are around $425. It's the opposite than what I expect. Who knows what will happen tomorrow. Too bad we won't be there to see it.
(Boxscore)
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posted at 10:25 PM | Link | Wolves § |
Wednesday, March 12, 2003
Wolves 5 - Mighty Ducks 2
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Back at the Allstate Arena. Tonight is the first night (of 3) that the Wolves are wearing their St. Patrick's Day jerseys that will be auctioned for charity. Two jersey's are already at $1,000. This year they also have a goalie mask that Norm Maracle was supposed to wear, but is a bit too tight. The Ducks are 12th in the playoffs, so they're out of contention, but they sure played hard enough. The game was pretty rocky, and they outshot us for most of the game. We had a few sweet goals, but it still looked like a struggle at times, even against the worst Power Play team in the league. There was a breakaway by Tony Martensson on the Ducks that was really stunning - this guy was fast, though Norm still stopped him. I suppose it didn't help that the Wolves were at the legal minimum number of players due to injuries and call-ups. Hey, at least we got through it. Officiating was very level, too. They let the guys play, they just clamped down on the fighting which is OK in my book. It was consistent, which is all you can ask for. Good job by Dean Morton.
(Boxscore) « hide the extended part of this entry
posted at 10:32 PM | Link | Wolves § |
Monday, March 10, 2003
Tickets!
I got home from work to find a package from 333 W. 35th Street. YES!!! Our White Sox Season Tickets came! Let's see what's new... there's 4 Sunday games with TBA times - meaning we'll have to see if there's interest at the end of the year to be on ESPN Sunday Night Baseball. Dog Day is Saturday April 19, Paul Konerko Bobble Head Dolls on Friday July 18, a new night - Rat Pack Night Friday July 25, White Sox Comic Books Sunday August 10, and Elvis Night Friday August 22. We also got tickets to a party in two weeks to see some of the renovations at the park. The season is getting closer!!!!
posted at 06:06 PM | Link | White Sox § |
Saturday, March 08, 2003
White Sox Garage SaleTook a drive down to Comiskey Park today to go to the White Sox annual Garage Sale, just to see if there was anything interesting, not to mention to see if there was anything interesting around the park.
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The doors opened at 10. I got there about 10 minutes before. The first thing I noticed around the park were people. Lots of people, still in line for tickets that went on sale at 8am. When I've been to the Garage Sale in the past, the lines would be gone. This was something I wasn't used to. The line to get into the Garage Sale was long, like it usually is. People around me that hadn't been to this thing before had no idea what the wait would be line, and looked totally disgusted when I said it was my experience that it will be well over an hour. I was wrong, by the way. It was an hour and a half by the time I got in. Same old stuff - tons of jerseys, hats, helmets, catchers equipment. It was more of a garage sale this year as they were selling signage from inside the park. It's a great place to get old Media Guides for all the teams in each league. At a steal, too - 25 cents each or 5 for $1. I decided that Carol needed a gift, so I got her a jersey from her absolute favorite pitcher - who is no longer with the Sox - Jim Parque. I walked around outside the park and found exactly what I was looking for - the Gift Shop was open today. That meant going into the park to go the store - something I couldn't resist. I wanted to see what was going on with the cranes and the rumor of a new scoreboard. When I got up to the main concourse, I couldn't roam around at all - but I could see the field. The old scoreboard in left field that had the lineups and other animations on it is gone, replaced by just a blue panel. It looks like it's going to be just another billboard. The main scoreboard in centerfield, however, is gutted. So, we are getting a new scoreboard! Better technology, I hope. Another little note - not a single sign that said U. S. Cellular Field. It was actually a pretty nice day outside. No sun, but in the 40's. A nice drive. When I was driving back home, however, it started raining. then sleeting. The weather went downhill rapidly. Well, at least I scored points with Carol - I think she liked her jersey (though I think she's upset I spent the money for it). « hide the extended part of this entry
posted at 02:11 PM | Link | White Sox § |
Saturday, March 01, 2003
Wolves 5 - Grizzlies 4 (Overtime)
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The Wolves have lost the last couple of games on the road. There was an incident this past week where 5 players were in the penalty box at the same time. Of course they lost. Tonight, we had the same referee - Dan O'Rourke. Lousy calls, no calls, and a tendency to blow the whistle way too early when he thinks the goalie has the puck frozen, when the puck is 6 inches away and free. Idiot. Biggest complaint? Inconsistency. We let him have it all night. When Earl (the Wolves Penalty Box official) told him "It sounds like you have a fan club," he says "They pay me to do my work." Prick. Lots of bad goals by them. Ours sure weren't easy. And we have still another overtime, but we come out on top. « hide the extended part of this entry
posted at 10:40 PM | Link | Wolves | 3 comments § |
Friday, February 28, 2003
The sound of the crowd after ash strikes horsehide...I've had an extremely stressfull and crappy day at work... until now. I've brought my little Sony Walkman and I'm listening to Spring Training Baseball - Chicago White Sox and Arizona Diamondbacks. Ah, baseball...
Update: Ah, the first loss of the year. Sox lose 14-5 (Boxscore)
posted at 02:42 PM | Link | Baseball § |
Saturday, February 22, 2003
Wolves 4 - Aeros 3 (Overtime)
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Still another meeting of these two teams. It's Hawaiian Night and there's live music in the lobby. They're giving out cheap plastic leis, but the first 5,000 people got Blueblocker sunglasses (good turnout - 14,222). Before the game, we were talking about the bad blood between the teams and how long it would take until the first fight. Well that would be 3:58. "Frankie" Lessard just went after Shawn Legault (who had just been called-up a few days earlier). Lessard pummeled him, taking him down to the ice and just wailed on him. Lessard had no marks on his face when it was all over - let's just say Legault had his hat handed to him. Though he went to the penalty box, he got sent off so that he could get stitched-up ("Shecky" washed-down the penalty box with water from the water bottles just to get the blood out of the place). Nine minutes into the game, we're up 1-0 and we're outshooting them 11-0. Then all of a sudden, Norm becomes a sieve and gives-up two goals. By the end of the period, it's 3-2 Houston. We tie it up 10 seconds into the second period. At 7:09 in the second, Lessard and Legault are at it again, this time Lessard opens-up Legault's stitches and uppercuts him in the nose and the blood is just pouring. Legault isn't on the ice for the rest of the night. It took overtime with 25 seconds left to finally come out ahead. An awful lot of overtimes and ties that we've been involved with the past week or so. After the game, it was off to Chili's for dinner with Chelby & Damian who finally came back to the hockey games.
(Boxscore) « hide the extended part of this entry
posted at 10:38 PM | Link | Wolves § |
Monday, February 17, 2003
Damn, not again...23-year-old Baltimore Orioles pitcher Steve Bechler died this morning less than 24 hours after complaining of dizziness during a workout and collapsing.
posted at 09:10 PM | Link | Sports § |
Sunday, February 09, 2003
Wolves 3 - Admirals (Norfolk) 3
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Oh, crap. 3 days in a row, the Wolves play in overtime. Friday was a win after squandering a 3-1 lead. Last night in Grand Rapids it was a 4-1 lead that was squandered that wound up in a 4-4 tie. Today, though we started strong, the Admirals took the lead and dominated for a while, only to finally get back into it and tie the game 3-3. The story today was penalties, Either they were very stupid penalties or the "chippiness" and fighting just took its toll. On Friday we were outshot 39-28, today we outshot them 37-29. BIG crowd today - 14,926. No idea why.
Another game without Chelby and Damian. I'm feeling the need to talk about this soon...
(Boxscore) « hide the extended part of this entry
posted at 06:36 PM | Link | Wolves § |
Friday, February 07, 2003
Wolves 4 - Aeros 3 (Overtime)
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Well, Teri emailed Carol to say they had two extra tickets to tonight's Wolves game. Since I haven't seen the two of them in a while, I wanted to go. They picked-up Carol, picked me up at the office, and headed to the game. Mark's company is a sponsor of the Wolves, so we were going to have dinner at Allstate. I never new the room existed - it's on the north side up a flight of stairs. It's a really small room and tonight it's hot dogs, chili, and some great potato wedges. We linger long enough to miss the opening introductions (look, the fireworks are too damn loud!) This is the first time the team is back in town after a few weeks and it's the first game with the newly installed nets to protect the crowd from flying pucks. From the side, you can hardly see the nets (I wonder what it's like when you're sitting behind them). This weekend, the players' wives are selling hockey pucks for charity. the pucks are signed by the players (if the autograph is in gold, you get to meet the player after the game - no luck for us). During the second intermission we head back upstairs for Wolves sugar cookies (which I somehow fell in love with). The game had a few altercations. The Wolves were up 3-1 and squandered it. The Aeros came back and tied it up, and in a rarity, we win in overtime. They outshot us 39-28. I really don't remember the game like I normally do - we were socializing a bit with Teri & Mark and their son Joey and his friend Taylor - so we were a little preoccupied. Still we won and we were really glad we got a chance to see Teri & Mark. Teri & Mark's tickets are right next to Chelby & Damian - but they weren't there again tonight. Bummer.
(Boxscore) « hide the extended part of this entry
posted at 11:13 PM | Link | Wolves § |
Saturday, February 01, 2003
Front Page!
There it was - right there. The Chicago Tribune. Not even the Sports section. FRONT PAGE. Above the fold. Comiskey Park benched by Sox By Jim Kirk, Tribune staff reporter. Tribune staff reporters Teddy Greenstein and Gary Washburn contributed to this story. My quote, right there on the front page! "I don't like naming rights," said Northwest Side native Michael Lans, 46. "I don't like the idea. It will always be Comiskey to me. But the revenue is good. It would be nice to see some tweaks." Almost word for word. I mean, Teddy started with me and he was scribbling with his own shorthand on his memo pad, but basically, though I said more, that was what I said last night at SoxFest. I've never seen myself quoted on a front page before. It's a really weird feeling.
posted at 07:39 AM | Link | Mundane § |
Friday, January 31, 2003
SoxFest 2003Carol got off work early, came and picked me up so I could leave early and on an ugly, wet Friday we drove downtown to the Hyatt Regency Chicago to attend SoxFest 2003.
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We got there a half hour early and made our way to the event. We were in line, about 30 people from the front of the line, when we realized what had happened - there were people in front of us that had been waiting since 7am to get to the Opening Ceremony at 5pm. We were 30 people behind the cutoff to get into the ballroom. Now we had to wait for that entire event to be over and the ballroom to be cleared before they would let the rest of us go in. Now I know why the line was so long last year! We had been standing in line for almost half an hour one a gentleman walked up to me. He was Teddy Greenstein, the White Sox beat reporter for the Chicago Tribune. He came over to get my reaction to an announcement that was just made in the ballroom - Comiskey Park will be no more - it will be called U.S. Cellular Field, thanks to a 23-year naming rights deal that will pay the club for $68 million over 20 years. Oh, crap... NOOOooooo!!! Anyway, I give him a few quotes and then he moved on down the line. Damn. I'm more of a purist, I guess. U.S. Cellular Field? Like that company will be around for the 23 years of the agreement. Well, at about 5:50, we finally get inside. I check my coat and we hang around the front of the ballroom area waiting for our friend Janie, and Jeff and his sister Doreen. After about 10 minutes, Jeff & Do show up, but no Janie - she's home sick. Bummer. We just sort of wander around - checking out some All Star merchandise, and walk the show floor and actually doing some shopping. We get something to drink and we meet-up with some of Jeff's relatives. We kill a little more time and go to the only session that we are always interested in: the panel discussion with management. There were some great acquisitions this year, like Bartolo Colon and Billy Koch. There were a few things that came out in that meeting, one that I was actually hoping to hear. In a discussion on how sometimes you try to make player movements and they don't work, GM Kenny Williams said that the Todd Ritchie trade was a mistake that blew up in his face. Somehow, I needed to hear that. There was an awful lot of talk about the players still waiting to come up. One name never came up anywhere in the discussion, or anywhere else for that matter - Frank Thomas. Everyone is so focused on how good the other players are, it seems like Frank is just another player (they way it should be, in my opinion). We left SoxFest, had a quick dinner at Houlihan's in Illinois Center and made our way home. It was a long friggin' night. « hide the extended part of this entry
posted at 11:50 PM | Link | White Sox § |
Monday, January 27, 2003
Zamboni on eBayThe AHL's Syracuse Crunch is auctioning-off their Zamboni on eBay. It's not the current one (I guess they retired this one last year), but it's fully operational. The last bid I saw was $3,050.00, and it met it's reserve. How cool is it to get a fully functional Zamboni for just over 3 grand? It does need work, however ("The washer tank is rusted, but could be replaced"). Still that's cheaper than the jersey I saw auctioned at a Wolves game a few weeks ago (coincidentally, a game against the Syracuse Crunch). (Auction ends February 4)
Update: It went for the $3,050.00 bid.
posted at 09:35 AM | Link | Hockey | 1 comment § |
Sunday, January 26, 2003
This ain't a song for the broken-hearted
Carol & I picked-up my mom and we went to Diane & Melinda's for our own private Super Bowl party.
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They had made some home-made barbecue beef and slaw, not to mention a ton of munchies. Melinda also made a white chocolate bundt cake that they were calling a "punt cake" in honor of the game. We, of course, not only paid attention to the game (Mom was actually cheering during the 4th Quarter!), but paid attention to the commercials.
This was a great game and a tip of the hat to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for a great win! I liked what I saw during the season from their defense and they really stepped-up and showed Oakland who was boss on that field. Up until the 4th quarter, Oakland look shook and out of it. However, I was glad to see Jerry Rice get a touchdown. But Oakland, at every point-after opportunity in the game, went for a two-point conversion and failed each time. I don't get it. Quarterback Rich Gannon - a Super Bowl Record 5 interceptions (3 were touchdowns). Ouch, but that shows how well the Buc's pass defense works. However, I wasn't impressed with Brad Johnson's passing. It looks like he's got nothing on the ball. Does he always throw like that? the oddest or grossest thing of the game? How about Oakland's John Ritchie. At the beginning of the 2nd quarter, he's on a table on the sidelines getting 2 holes in his forehead butterflied shut. Later in the game, ABC uses a shot of him in a clip package, with his helmet off, blood gushing down his face from the two holes in his forehead. (Madden called them "calcium deposits" even though the location looks like they're right around where the two bolts attach the top of the face mask to the helmet. He also said he's usually bleeding "2 minutes into the first quarter".)
The grossest commercial? Well, that had to be the Dodge Truck Beef Jerky commercial (ew!). Favorite? I don't know. I think there were way too many movie trailers (and not of them stellar). I though that Budweiser/Anheuser-Busch packages were pretty good (like the Clydesdales Instant Replay and the Designated Driver with Tim McGraw). I loved Reebok's "Terry Tate: Office Linebacker" spot (wouldn't you love to see that at your office? I thought the FedEx Castaway was good, but... shouldn't have that been on last year? The White House Office of National Drug Control Policy commercials were a bit shocking, and did we have to see a dead parakeet in the Quizno's ad?
USA Today's Ad Meter rankings are here and actual streaming versions of all of the Super Bowl commercials are at IFILM. « hide the extended part of this entry
posted at 09:39 PM | Link | Sports § |
Saturday, January 25, 2003
Comiskey Park UpdateLast month, when we were on our meat run to Michigan, we were on the Dan Ryan and passed Comiskey Park. That was the first time I noticed it - there was something different about the park. The Upper deck looked the same, so there was no structural change there, but something else was going on. So, since I had nothing else to do today, I drove down to Comiskey to check it out.
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I had heard some rumors that there would be another round of renovations at the park before this year's All Star Game in July. In the prior years, I've always heard about what was going on through our Season Ticket Rep, but nothing was released this year. I vaguely remember Hawk talking at the end of the season about a new scoreboard. At our last season ticket game and the last home game at the park last year, it was obvious they were doing some testing of paint.
The first thing I noticed on the drive to the park, as I was heading south on the Dan Ryan, just before that big sweeping turn at the Stevenson, you could see a crane inside the park. I didn't look too heavy, but it was definitely taller than the top of the stadium. I drove to the park and parked in the E lot and walked around the park. The sun may have been out, but it was cold out there. Well, there wasn't much I could see from the lot (the angles were all wrong) and I was getting a bit spooked-out by the security cameras panning around, so I got back in the car and drove around the park a few times and in different routes. The upper deck has definitely not changed in size or shape. There are temporary walls on the upper deck concourse. My guess is that they're doing renovations similar to the Main Concourse renovations of last year. The ramps outside the left field corner are now painted dark gray. the other ramps are still bare concrete. The inside of the roof on the upper deck that used to be white is now black. Even though we saw paint tests on the concrete facing of the upper deck at the end of the season, I couldn't get a good angle to see into the park to see if that had been done. All of the truss work above the outfield concourse (that held all of the advertising and the scoreboards) that used to be white is now painted black, or maybe a very dark gray. This includes the light towers as well. The backside of the scoreboards and ads are still white. There was a service door that was open behind the left-field scoreboard, and you could see that the scoreboard was gone - just support girders were left. The crane that can be seen inside the park seems to be positioned by that scoreboard. (I wouldn't mind seeing an upgrade to the scoreboards. The Sony display on the main scoreboard, though only 12 years old, sure isn't the latest technology. And the bulb density of the left field scoreboard could be upgraded a bit.) I'd like to see if they've changed the color scheme inside the park at all (I, for the record, am against the all blue crap used in the park - blue seats, blue scoreboards. blue padding on the outfield walls.) So far, in general, it looks like the park is going to look "darker", which, from a player perspective, is a good thing. You see, the players have always complained at Comiskey that they lose sight of the ball against the color of all the concrete used in the place. My guess is that they're painting the concrete to darken the background for the players. Maybe we'll find out more next weejkend at SoxFest. « hide the extended part of this entry
posted at 03:38 PM | Link | White Sox | 1 comment § |
Wednesday, January 15, 2003
Wolves 4 - Aeros 5 - Overtime
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Nothing to really say about the game tonight. Hardly anybody was there (probably because a) it's a weeknight and b) it's friggin' cold outside). There's no way there were 3,994 people there. Wolves were up 2-1 and let the Aeros back in the game, losing in overtime. Blech.
On a somewhat unrelated note, Chelby & Damian finally came to a game tonight - they hadn't been there since mid-December, and it's their first game since Edwin, Chelby's dad, died of cancer last week Wednesday (just weeks after diagnosis). It was surprising and sudden and the family his having a tough time handling the loss. They only stayed 2 periods, but it got them "out and about", and hopefully they enjoyed some time watching the game that they love. Too bad it was a bad game...
(Boxscore) « hide the extended part of this entry
posted at 10:07 PM | Link | Wolves § |
Monday, January 13, 2003
Chicago Wolves Season Ticket Holder PartyWent to the annual Chicago Wolves Season Ticket Holder Party at the Allstate Arena tonight. Same stuff - not any different than last year. Saw all the team. Went in the locker room. Climbed on the Zamboni. Free stadium food. *yawn*
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posted at 09:12 PM | Link | Wolves § |
Sunday, January 12, 2003
Wolves 3 - Crunch 1
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This afternoon's game on the ice was uneventful as the Wolves beat Syracuse 3-1 (although, it was "entertaining" to watch the Syracuse goaltender Karl Goehring - he's only 5' 7" and when he crouches, he can easily fit inside the net). Off the ice, a little different story.
First, the pregame presentations and player introductions go off without a hitch. The National Anthem is normal, the lights come up, and the next thing we know, the referees and the officials in the box below us are having discussions. There's a lot of pointing - up at the scoreboard. Apparently, the fireworks have set off a small fire burning inside the scoreboard for about 6 minutes. They winch the scoreboard down to center ice and climb inside to make sure everything is OK, and then they winch it back up again for the puck drop. Total delay: 20 minutes.
Second, today is the last day of the Collegiate-Style Jersey Auction. This is always a big day at the tables, where somebody's jersey bidding gets out of hand. Now remember, the Wolves are a minor league hockey team. They jersey auctions (usually, at least two a year - a specialty jersey and a St. Patrick's Day jersey) are big fundraisers for charities. This was no exception today, as the cheapest jerseys were going for $600 and some select ones where $1,400-$1,800. The exception, that I actually watched, was for the jersey of defenseman Dallas Eakins. two women were standing by a clipboard, outbidding each other. The final winning bid: and outrageous $5,150. It's ridiculous, and "normal" fans have no chance of getting a jersey. No chance at all.
(Boxscore) « hide the extended part of this entry
posted at 06:24 PM | Link | Wolves § |
Wednesday, January 08, 2003
Wolves 4 - Moose 2
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Our "puck boys" are back in town at the Allstate Arena. Today is the first game (of three) that the Wolves are wearing their special "College-Style" jerseys which, of course, will be auctioned-off of Sunday. I think they're nice looking, but this is the first promotional jersey that they've worn that I've felt no compelling drive to purchase. The "College Style" to me is just... bland. In the East Lobby, they had the Calder Cup on display (complete with the Wolves championship roster affixed to the appropriate location). The Calder Cup is just so... cheesy-looking. I want a tiered cup, like Lord Stanley's or even the IHL's old Turner Cup (which we won twice) instead of this style.
The Wolves are playing the Manitoba Moose tonight. We enjoy going to these games for two major reasons. The first is to be able to sing the Canadian National Anthem (which we think is the best National Anthem to sing, and Wayne Messmer does a great job of it. Oh, and it's in our key). I know it's a minor thing, but it's fun.
The second thing is because of one specific Moose player: Jimmy Roy (pronounced "Roy" and not "Wah"). We just hate this guy. He's been with the Moose since '97, back in the IHL, back when the Moose were still in Minnesota. He's just a punk. But for some reason, he doesn't act that way on his home ice, so his fans have no idea what he's like when he's in Chicago.
We started taunting Roy starting with the opening face-off. If he was on the ice, we taunted him. When I mean "we", I mean groups of specific fans all around the Allstate Arena. Specifically, it's a chant: "Ro-oy! Ro-oy! Ro-oy! YOU SUCK!!!" It started across the ice by Sock Boy, it went upstairs to The Rafter Rats, and then it would come down to us - The Penalty Box Police. (A side note - That's what our group is called. First, it's our primary responsibility to "police" the visitors penalty box and hassle them as much as we can. Secondly, there are some Chicago Cops in the group, so Penalty Box Police is a bit fitting. We even have patches to wear on our jerseys (yes, we all wear jerseys).) We were chanting in a round. Anytime he was on the ice, we all took turns and hounded him.
Jump forward - it's the end of the second period, Roy is in some kind of skirmish with Dallas Eakins, and the two are being escorted off the ice to keep them apart. It was reported later that Eakins said to Roy "How does it feel to be a career minor-leaguer?'' Well, that just set him off and he gets a 2 minute unsportsmanlike conduct and a 10-minute misconduct. He starts the 3rd period in the penalty box, and , for all intents and purposes, he's ours. We start laying into him, but this time (for a change) he's not really reacting to us (I think that's another reason why we hassle this guy - there was a few times where we got to him, he reacted to us, and we totally took him out of the game. He was ineffective on the ice.) We weren't paying too much attention to the game, we're focused on Roy. Then, at 3:47 into the period, Andre Payette gets a 10-minute misconduct as well. This guy has been in the ECHL and was signed on New Years Eve for a try out. Naturally, we have to get into his head, so we start our taunting - and he reacts. Oh, that's all we need! from then on, it was the hell with Roy, we're after Payette. He reacts often. He was talking to Roy in the box (who remained calm and just served his time), and it was obvious they were talking about the taunting. After it was all over, Jimmy Roy never played another minute in the game (we lost track of Payette).
The Moose goaltender Alex Auld was unfreakingbelieveable in net. He made saves that just seemed totally impossible. In the end, even though he lost 4-2, his 33 saves made him the #1 star of the game. (A great quote from the Winnipeg Sun: Chicago Wolves coach John Anderson summed up Alex Auld's performance as only someone from the Windy City so eloquently can. "He was playing out of his friggin' mind".)Our goalie, Frederic Cassivi did a pretty good job as well, considering he hasn't seen much action since before Thanksgiving. « hide the extended part of this entry
posted at 10:29 PM | Link | Wolves § |
Friday, January 03, 2003
Wolves 3 - Griffins 4
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The Wolves scored the first goal of the game just 49 seconds into the game, but I knew this was going to be a hard game for the Wolves to win - they haven't been playing well of late and the Griffins have. The Wolves stayed in it, and it was a give an take the entire game - 2-2 after the 1st, 3-3 after the 2nd, but the boys came up one short and lost. That's three straight losses, and it feels like the boys are starting a freefall. They're trying, but they're not coming together.
As promised, in the middle of the 1st intermission we lifted a cup of Bud Light to our missing parents. OK, so it wasn't the greatest choice to toast with, but this is the Allstate Arena - there's not much to chose from here.
The week is over. It's time to rest-up. It's been very exhausting.
(Boxscore) « hide the extended part of this entry
posted at 10:50 PM | Link | Wolves § |
Sunday, December 29, 2002
Oh, please, just get it over with...
The Chicago Bears (4-11) have had 46 different starters this season. 46. Injuries have decimated this team. It's the end of the season, a Sunday Night game on ESPN against Tampa Bay (11-4). The Bucs have never won a game (0-21) if the temperature is under 40. It's 35. Something tells me that really won't make a difference tonight. They've got the #1 defense in the league, and they're going after our third string quarterback with a fourth stringer as backup. There's no way the Bears can win. Let's just get it over with...
Update: End of the 1st: Buccaneers 0 Bears 0
Update: End of the half: Buccaneers 6 Bears 0
Update: End of the 3rd: Buccaneers 6 Bears 0
Update: Final: Buccaneers 15 Bears 0
posted at 07:17 PM | Link | Bears § |
Saturday, December 28, 2002
Wolves 5 - Rampage 3
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Tonight was the first game that we could see the AHL's newest team, the San Antonio Rampage, the AHL affiliate of the Florida Panthers. The Wolves played them last night and won 4-2. Tonight, we win again, this time 5-3. Not exactly stellar play, but San Antonio really had some very nice plays. Nothing much to really talk about. Boring game? No, just a normal game with nothing standing out to talk about. Oh, well. « hide the extended part of this entry
posted at 10:21 PM | Link | Wolves § |
Saturday, December 21, 2002
Wolves 5 - Admirals 2
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The Wolves had a league-high 9 game winning streak broken last night, so it's time to start a new one. This was already the 8th game against the Admirals, and the 3rd Saturday in a row that we played them. I hate this divisional scheduling. Because of the loss yesterday and 3 games in 3 days scheduling (they play in Houston tomorrow), Coach John Anderson pulled goalie Milan Hnilicka for Norm Maracle. The game started out OK, and then gets a little scary when the Wolves let the Admirals get back into the game. Maracle stopped a penalty shot after a scramble in front of the net ensued, Norm lost the puck and Garnet Exelby jumps in and freezes it in the crease (which is illegal). The game was pretty clean, but there was a weird play in the 3rd. Simon Gamache charges and brings the puck right up to the net. A Milwaukee defenseman (didn't catch who) checks him and forces him on top of the net off his skates. Fortunately, Garnet Exelby happened to be around and he poked the puck in for the 5th goal of the game. By the end of the game, the Wolves had 13 power-play opportunities, but only scored on 2. Skates and his crew were dressed in their Christmas finery, and you know it's the holiday season when you see the Marines that are at the game manning the Toys For Tots collection areas are in the aisle dancing to "Cotton Eyed Joe". Our friend John was at the game for the first time since knee-replacement surgery the Tuesday before Thanksgiving. It's was good seeing him again. So, it's time to start a new streak. We have another league-high streak going now: 8 straight home wins.
(Boxscore) « hide the extended part of this entry
posted at 10:04 PM | Link | Wolves § |
Tuesday, December 17, 2002
Da Bears Anthrax Scare...This showed up in this morning's EMail: LAKE FOREST,IL. (AP) - Chicago Bears football practice was delayed nearly two hours today after a player reported finding an unknown white powdery substance on the practice field. Head coach Dick Jauron immediately suspended practice while police and federal investigators were called to investigate.
After a complete analysis, FBI forensic experts determined that the white substance unknown to the players was the goal line. Practice was resumed after special agents decided that the team was unlikely to encounter the substance again.
posted at 11:13 AM | Link | Odd § |
Wednesday, December 11, 2002
Wolves 5 - Ice Cats 4
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Well, it feels like a long day, with it being my first day of work and all. It's weird, though - you can see my building from the parking lot of the Allstate Arena (not that I'm going to be walking there anytime soon). This was the first time we saw the new goaltender (from the Thrashers) Milan Hnilicka. He gave up three goals that he had no chance of getting - all re-directs off of our players. He's 3-0-0-0 since coming to the Wolves (better than his 0-11-0 while in Atlanta). Mark Hartigan had a goal and two assists. This was also the debut of Bob Nardella who looked rusty, had a few penalties (all dealing with grabbing the puck) and, unfortunately, he's one of our guys that deflected a shot with his stick for an Ice Cat goal. A couple of good fights tonight. At the end of the game, they announced a Gross Misconduct penalty on Sergei Varlamov, but it didn't showup in the box score. This was the Wolves' sixth straight win, but they're still in last place in the division.
(Boxscore) « hide the extended part of this entry
posted at 10:26 PM | Link | Wolves § |
Monday, December 09, 2002
MNF x 3posted at 08:25 PM | Link | Bears § |
Saturday, December 07, 2002
The Big Hurt
So, Frank Thomas returns to the White Sox after he can't find a team to take him. No big surprise. I have mixed feelings about this guy. Yes, he's a great power hitter - but he hasn't been that way recently. There was a time where he led the league in walks because he was so feared. Not any more. He's too moody. He's had some injuries over the last few years, leading to some pretty bad stats. An, even though I'm a White Sox fan and follow the American League, he's now just a Designated Hitter and, well, that's just not right. (Even though, in the past, if he played First Base, his stats went up, though he always denied it.) So, the Sox have actually torn-up his contract and reworked it for a couple of years with both sides getting to exercise "mutual options" for renewal. So, Frank, if you're back, you better start doing something and become the leader of that team - something you have never done in the past 13 years on this team.
posted at 09:30 AM | Link | White Sox | 1 comment § |
Saturday, November 30, 2002
Wolves 2 - Griffins 1 - Overtime
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After still another lazy day of lounging and eating leftovers, it's back to the Allstate Arena for another Wolves game. A much cleaner game tonight compared to last Wednesday night. We had a bit of a noisy group next to us that was celebrating somebody's 50th birthday. Every time they flashed it on the scoreboard, the whole group would scream. Annoying. Anyway, the game was tied 1-1 in the first, and stayed that way until 35 seconds into overtime when J.P. Vigier scored the game winning goal. Norm Maracle stopped 35 shots and has been looking really good. An odd coincidence tonight - they showed a video piece from the Atlanta Thrashers on goalie Pasi Nurminen who was an absolute star on the Wolves last year and who is now the #1 goaltender on the Thrashers and now doing well. Right after that is when Norm gave up his only goal.
(Boxscore) « hide the extended part of this entry
posted at 10:14 PM | Link | Wolves § |
Wednesday, November 27, 2002
Wolves 4 - Grizzlies 1
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We knew that there was going to be problems before the game when Mike, the AHL Official that runs the scoreboard, walked up the aisle and said "this is going to be ugly." By the first intermission, we all knew. In the first period, there were 90 minutes of penalties! Look at this: First Period---None. Penalties---Jancevski, Utah (double minor-roughing), 0:29; Gosselin, Utah (misconduct), 0:29; Morgan, Utah (roughing), 0:29; Simon, Chicago (double minor-roughing), 0:29; DiPenta, Chicago (misconduct), 0:29; MacKenzie, Chicago (roughing), 0:29; Sim, Utah (roughing, misconduct), 0:54; Eakins, Chicago (interference, misconduct), 0:54; MacMillan, Utah (interference), 2:11; Ott, Utah (fighting, misconduct), 14:01; Sellars, Chicago (fighting, misconduct), 14:01; Eakins, Chicago (delay of game), 15:55. There was something that happened that no one had ever seen before: at one point there were six Utah players in the penalty box at the same time as five Wolves players! Eleven players in the penalty box! Things eventually settled-down. Yuri Butsayev had three goals for the Wolves' first hat-trick of the season. When I was taking pictures of the penalties, I was surprised to see that that the Wolves are still wearing the "DC" stickers on their helmets in memory of NBC5 Sportscaster Darrian Chapman. « hide the extended part of this entry
posted at 10:52 PM | Link | Wolves § |
Saturday, November 23, 2002
Wolves 6 - Aeros 1posted at 10:33 PM | Link | Wolves § |
Monday, November 18, 2002
MNFposted at 08:02 PM | Link | Bears § |
Saturday, November 02, 2002
Wolves 0 - Wolf Pack 4
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Ewww... this game stunk. OH they were bad... This was the worst Wolves game I had been to in quite a while. There was no defense in this game. There's not much to say. It was bad. The only good thing had nothing to do with the game. The Wolves had a tribute to NBC SportsCaster Darrian Chapman before the game, as well as a raffle and a series of silent auctions to benefit the Darrian Chapman Children's Fund. He was one of two sportscasters in Chicago that really have a genuine interest in Hockey and the Wolves. The wolves wore little "DC" stickers on their helmets in tribute. « hide the extended part of this entry
posted at 10:19 PM | Link | Wolves § |
Wednesday, October 30, 2002
Darrian Chapman
Chicago lost a sportscaster today. Darrian Chapman at NBC5 died from a massive heart attack at age 37 before playing at his weekly hockey game. He was a gregarious guy on air, and you can tell how much he loved sports and how much he loved the city. It was a shock to a lot of the sports people in town.
posted at 06:15 PM | Link | TV § |
Sunday, October 27, 2002
Angels World Champs
The Angels win the World Series 4-1. A great series - nice and tight, give and take. Fox had a great shot of Giants manager Dusty Baker's 3½-year-old son Darren in the dugout - crying. Theis World Series was the first time two Wild Card teams played each other. As for Anaheim, they've never won the Series in their history. Last year, Anaheim was 41 games out!
posted at 10:21 PM | Link | Baseball § |
Saturday, October 26, 2002
Another Lazy SaturdayA nice lazy Saturday - exactly what Carol needs. We spent the day watching the Breeders Cup from Arlington Park. It was great hearing so many people say how great the facility is. Too bad it was cloudy and cold - the place looks beautiful in the sun. A new event record was set for All Sources Handle for the Breeders' Cup - $115,523,156. $13,568,233 was handled just at Arlington. There were 6 winners of the Breeders' Cup Ultra Pick 6, all purchased at Catskill OTB in upstate New York, with a payout of $428,392. Wow.
Just as the Breeders' Cup Classic was getting underway, paramedics pulled up at the house behind us. We never see fire department equipment in the neighborhood. Never. Looks like they took the homeowner away on a backboard with his head braced. I have no idea what happened.
Watched pieces of the World Series, Trading Spaces, and the Chicago Wolves hockey game on CLTV tonight, all at the same time (I love my remote). Wolves lost in overtime. Angels came-back and forced a Game 7. The jury is still out on Hilda Santo-Tomas (I think it was 1-1 tonight with Hildi - the huge dot portrait and the tall coffee table in Philadelphia: East Avenue just didn't work for me, but the kid's bedroom with the climbing wall and tent in Virginia: Gentle Heights Court was way cool)
posted at 10:35 PM | Link | Mundane § |
Friday, October 18, 2002
Wolves 4 - Mighty Ducks 3
So Carol says, "Do you want to go to the hockey game?" Of course, I have to ask "Why?" "So I can get a ring." Oh, jeez. The Wolves are giving out replica Championship Rings to the first 5,000 fans tonight. They're doing it on November 2nd, our next game (we have a 21-game Season Ticket package, and tonight wasn't one of our games), but Carol didn't believe they would give out rings on the 2nd (they are), so we go to the game. (They also are giving out Magnetic Schedules tonight, the same ones we got on opening night). So we get our rings (we have three of them now, one for each championship). They're pretty cool, but they're just not something you'd actually wear out in public. The Wolves play the Ducks again tonight (same as opening night). The teams play a much more disciplined game, but by 10:55 of the second period Frederic Cassivi stopped only 12 of 16 shots and got replaced by Norm Maracle, who stopped all 14 shots that he saw. Steve Maltais had two goals, but the Wolves lose 4-3.
posted at 10:34 PM | Link | Wolves § |
Saturday, October 12, 2002
Raise the banner, hoist the cup
We returned to the Allstate Arena to watch the season opener of the Chicago Wolves playing the Cincinnati Mighty Ducks. First off - lousy day outside - low 50's and rain. There was a big tailgate party outside with live entertainment, free hotdogs and drinks - that we just couldn't get ourselves to participate in. Walking into the arena, we noticed something missing - the AHL mandated the use of protective nets to be installed above the glass on each end of the ice. No nets. (Found out later that the nets are on backorder, and should be installed sometime next month.) Before the game, the entire team was introduced. Then, the captain, Steve Maltais skated out with the Calder Cup trophy. It was a bit weird though - they had stuck dry ice in it so it was smoking up a storm as Malts skated around the ice. The team was presented with their rings, we all watched a video of the Calder Cup playoffs, then they unveiled the banners and raised them to the ceiling. That's always a great time for a fan of any team - to watch them raise a championship banner. So, faceoff was about 27 minutes late. The game started out weak. We seem to handle the puck well, and skated well, but we were down 3-2 at the end of the second period. I don't know what happened during the second intermission, but the Wolves scored 5 goals in the final period to win 7-4.
The Chicago Wolves continued their association with the City of Chicago Department of Animal Care and Control with their Adopt-a-Dog program. They set up "Dally's Dog Pound" - named after Wolves defenseman Dallas Eakins, who is a team spokesman for the program - in the East Lobby by the Customer Service Booth during 8 games this season (last season 98 dogs were adopted). It's really cool seeing the people interacting with the dogs and making the commitment to bring one home with them.
After the game, we drove home to a pitch black neighborhood. No power! One of my computers at home had paged me that another device (not on a UPS) had stopped responding at 21:52:01. I hate having to fumble with locks in the dark, un-doing the electric garage door opener to get the car inside, and just stumbling through a dark, quiet house. The power came back at 11:20pm - no idea why it was out in the first place.
posted at 11:56 PM | Link | Wolves § |
Monday, October 07, 2002
Don't trust a cow... or a Bearposted at 08:53 PM | Link | Bears | 2 comments § |
Saturday, October 05, 2002
Wolves 3 - Griffins 2 - Preseason
A bright, crisp autumn day in Chicago. Carol and I had absolutely nothing planned for today, and somehow we felt like we needed to start to gear-up for hockey season, so we wound up driving to Bensenville to go to the last Chicago Wolves preseason game against the Grand Rapids Griffins. We've never been to The Edge before - what a nice facility! Two rinks, lots of parking, good refreshments, great sight-lines. The game was So much better than last Wednesday. It was refreshing to see the style of play was back to what we've seen in the past - lots of aggression, decent puck control, wonderful shot combinations.
Now, one of the aspects of these preseason games (other than seeing players that you will never see again after the next week), is that these are really community events at discount prices ($5 general admission), and a lot of families come out. The downside? Well, these are people who bring kids to the ring and don't really supervise them. So? Do you remember Brittanie Cecil at the Columbus Blue Jackets game? You go to the game, you MUST pay attention. There was a large group of 5-7 year-olds that were 7 rows up above the tunnel. There were NO adults with them. In the third period, a little boy (5 years old - maybe) got hit over the right eye with a puck. FREAKED OUT EVERYBODY. A linesman saw what happened and got upset about it, streaked across the ice to get a towel, and came back to get it to the people that were now trying to help the kid. When you see these many kids running around, and the parents not understanding what could happen, you just know that something like this would happen. It took quite a while to get some medical attention to the kid. Damn, I hate this. WAKE UP, PEOPLE!
Anyway, Wolves won 3-2.
posted at 10:01 PM | Link | Wolves § |
Thursday, October 03, 2002
Envelope from RHLPWent out to get the mail... we received our Season Tickets from the Chicago Wolves, so I guess we're ready for hockey season. I'm still stuck on baseball, even though we went to that preseason game last night. Carol and I were commenting as we were freezing in the bleachers that it was hard shifting gears and watching hockey. The team didn't help - there was no flow to the game, it was just back and forth, lose the puck, screen the goalie, etc. Didn't help that you're looking at a bunch of new guys, and the teams don't have their names on their backs yet. Well, the Wolves got rid of 12 players earlier today, a few of the guys that were dressed from last night. The exciting thing, however, is that the Atlanta Thrashers (the parent team of the Wolves) just sent 5 guys down to the Wolves, all of them great players that were on the team last year. That should help, I guess. We'll see a week from Saturday.
posted at 04:49 PM | Link | Wolves § |
Wednesday, October 02, 2002
Wolves 1 - Admirals 8 - Preseasonposted at 10:04 PM | Link | Wolves § |
Monday, September 30, 2002
Season over
That's it - the White Sox lost yesterday. The season is over. Yes, there's playoff games and the World Series, but when your team ends its season without post-season play - it's over. (Oh, but if your team gets into the Post-season - that's a whole other matter - the joy, the excitement, the constant following of everything your team does, as well as those in your league, and even dare to think it - those teams in the other league just in case...)
I get all melancholy at this time of year. I measure my life by the seasons - baseball seasons that is. Yes, hockey is just around the corner (my minor league favorite - The AHL's Chicago Wolves - lost their first preseason game Saturday night 6-3), but I don't feel my body clock pacing hockey. It ticks to baseball. When the season is over, I count the days until pitchers and catchers report to camp, the days until the first Cactus League opener, the days until the first pitch of the new season, the first pitch of the home opener... I love baseball... I love being at the park and watching the games, watching how it progresses, the ebb and flow, the grass, the sounds, the tastes, the passing of time... how hard it was to leave Comiskey Park this week...
I am always reminded of my favorite quote from a fictitious Terence Mann, talking to a fictitious Ray Kinsella:
"The one constant through all the years, Ray, has been baseball. America has rolled by like an army of steamrollers. It's been erased like a blackboard, rebuilt, and erased again. But baseball has marked the time. This field, this game, is a part of our past, Ray. It reminds us of all that once was good, and that could be again. Oh people will come, Ray. People will most definitely come." Oh, to be in my seat again...
posted at 08:32 AM | Link | Baseball § |
Thursday, September 26, 2002
Last Home Game
I couldn't help it - I had to go to the White Sox game this afternoon. It was the last game of the season at home, and I felt compelled to go. Got a single ticket in the 11th row behind the plate. When I walked into the park (which was pretty empty at the time), you could tell the work on the upper deck was on it's way - all of the seats on the third base side had been covered in a blue tarp, and some scaffolding had been erected - looks like they're going to strip and paint the roof. Whoopee - new paint (too bad they don't have the money to fix the upper deck, like change the pitch, change the seating...). And speaking of new paint, the paint samples I saw Sunday night aren't the same paint samples that are there today - maybe they've gone from four colors to two in their selection process. I get some sausages (Polish with grilled onions and a Brat with kraut, which later I found out was an Italian Sausage instead) and go to my seat. Just before the game starts, this guy sits down in front of me with a bunch of equipment, and some other people are running an extension cord and some coax cable to his seat. He's working for NESN (the sports network that covers the Boston games) as a radar gun guy. this guy is definitely not a baseball fan, as he really acted like he wanted to be somewhere else all game. He must have got no more that 80% of the pitches on the gun, as he was fidgeting and bored and not paying attention. Oh, and it looked like he had pennies in his earlobes. Anyway, the game was great. Danny Wright held Boston to two hits in seven innings. Magglio Ordonez got a homerun off of first-time starter Josh Hancock. Keith Foulke got his career 100th save. Sox win 3-2. When Frank Thomas came up to bat in the eighth, the fans gave him a standing ovation - it could be his last at bat as a White Sox (because of the "Diminished Skills" clause of his contract (officially referred to as "revised payment rights") may be activated in the off-season). Then, the game was over, the season was over. I walked around the park almost by myself - there was only 12,304 in attendance and there were less people there now than when I was there last month for what could have been the last game before the strike. It was sad. I was sad to leave the place and I can't tell you why. I didn't want to leave. I just wanted to find a seat and just sit there - by myself. Me and the park. Me and Roger Bossard's turf. Me and the crappy blue seats. I felt safe. I felt comfortable. I couldn't stay - I had to go. And as I'm walking down the ramps, my eyes start to water behind my RayBans. Goodbye Comiskey. See you next year.
posted at 05:56 PM | Link | White Sox § |
Wednesday, September 25, 2002
Shirtless Top 10
Dave just isn't letting it go.... tonight's Top 10 List:
Top Ten Shirtless Father And Son Explanations
10. He was obstructing our view
9. Autographed Tom Gamboa baseball would be worth more if he were dead
8. We're sorry, you'll have to talk to our shirtless lawyer
7. You try staying in your seat during a White Sox-Royals game
6. Dr. Phil says fathers and sons form stronger bonds when they commit senseless acts of violence
5. When two shirtless idiots can't attack anyone they want, the terrorists have won
4. People do crazy things after nine beers
3. For generations our family has proudly beaten first-base coach Tom Gamboa
2. Getting in shape for hockey dad season
1. Couple Mets players gave us some crazy weed, man
posted at 11:05 PM | Link | TV § |
Sunday, September 22, 2002
Birthday cake and ESPN Sunday Night Baseball
Went to my parents house for lunch. My sister Diane was over with Melinda so we could celebrate her birthday (remember, she was out of town on her birthday, though Carol and I already got her a present). Carol is driving this weekend since my car has that damn space-saver spare on it. I'll be getting new tires (yep, a full set) later this week. I think she's upset that she's driving, even though I've been driving to my parents and the ballpark all summer. She's pretty tired and stressed out right now. I didn't see too much of Dad. He didn't talk much, seemed tired and not as energetic as he has been. Hopefully, that was just today. His hospice nurse quit, and he has a new one - hopefully he wasn't the cause!
Hardly anybody in the parking lot when we pulled into Comiskey Park tonight, our last game of the season. The game time was moved to 7:05 just a few weeks ago, so ESPN can broadcast the game. They really bring out the equipment for the broadcast - they added 3 cameras around the plate, all remote control (one on the backstop, one at each dugout), one in straight away center, above the batter's eye for that special Strike Zone analysis shot. Plus three cameras in the regular center field position, a roving camera on the outfield concourse... Parabolic Mics everywhere in the outfield and camera wells - on guy in the camera well next to the White Sox dugout got hit with a ball - it went through the parabolic mic dish! I was looking around the park and noticed that they started test painting the concrete on the upper deck. There's four different colors, all gray. That's part of the off-season rehab. Nothing major - there's not enough money to really fix the upper deck. Did you know it would cost $4 million to replace the blue seats with green ones? It was Fan Appreciation Night - the team gave out gifts to some of the fans. We weren't one of them. The Sox SWEEP the Twins 8-2. It doesn't mean anything, as the Twins already clinched the division, but it was a show of PRIDE. Mark Buehrle got his 19th win (19-11), Frank Thomas, D'Angelo Jimenez, and Magglio Ordonez each had a home run. Afterwards, fireworks and saying goodbye to all of our Season Ticket buddies hoping to see them sitting somewhere around us next year. It was our last season ticket game this year, but I think I'll go to the Thursday afternoon game against the Red Sox, since that is the last home game. I just can't seem to let go of baseball this year...
posted at 11:25 PM | Link | White Sox § |
Saturday, September 21, 2002
White Sox 14 - Twins 4posted at 06:57 PM | Link | White Sox § |
Thursday, September 19, 2002
Shirtless thugsposted at 10:05 PM | Link | White Sox § |
Thursday, September 12, 2002
The WaveOK, let me start by saying this - this is Chicago. If you go to a sporting event here, don't even think about starting a wave. We don't like it. It shows disrespect for the players on the field (or ice or court). It shows that you aren't paying attention to the damn game. Having said that, the University of Hungary has actually done a study of the wave.
posted at 09:29 AM | Link | Odd § |
Sunday, September 08, 2002
White Sox 7 - Indians 6
Back at Comiskey. The Indians haven't had a 4-game sweep of the Sox since 1948. Great. It could happen today. The weather is hotter and hazier than yesterday. The park is emptier than yesterday - 15,067 paid. The game starts similarly - The Sox lead 2-0, only to go down 4-2, and the next thing you know, we're losing 6-3. Bottom of the 9th, 2 on, 2 out - who comes to the plate? Frank Thomas. This guy has done nothing this year. A DH with a .245 average. I can't remember the last time he's done anything in a clutch situation - strikeouts, ground outs, pop outs. What does he do? 3-run home run to tie it! Magglio Ordonez gets on base, and then Joe Crede - with two strikes against him - singles home Mags. Sox win 7-6! No sweep! And they gain a game on Minnesota
After the game, the Sox released Royce Clayton. So that's why Kenny Williams was hanging around in Jerry Reinsdorf's suite...
posted at 09:45 PM | Link | White Sox § |
Saturday, September 07, 2002
White Sox 2 - Indians 4 (Oh, and Gracie, Greeks and B&B)
Time to pack-up Gracie. She looked a bit confused this morning, almost like she knew something was up but couldn't figure out what it is. But, then again, I think that Gracie's just not wired right. We got her packed up in the car and she just wouldn't settle down. She also didn't seem to recognize the neighborhood around my parents house. Odd. We got there and as soon as we walk into their house, she went nuts. Chelsea and her started wrestling as soon as they saw each other, like they missed it other. We couldn't stay long, since it's a baseball day and Fox has the coverage, so it's an early start.
At Comiskey, it's time to play the Cleveland Indians again. Seems like we just saw them, but that was back at the beginning of July. I mentioned back then how I didn't like their fans, but they didn't show up to cheer their team. This time, nobody showed up to cheer either team. The place was empty - 16,622 paid. It was hot and humid. We had to drink lots of fluids to stay on top of things. The shade didn't get to us until 2 o'clock, which is at least earlier than in June/July when it's 3 o'clock. Anyway, Carlos Lee had a home run, but that was it for the team - Sox lose 4-2. Sad. Jon Garland didn't look too good, not like the complete game shutout I saw him pitch a few weeks ago.
After the game, we went up Lake Shore Drive to Wrigleyville. I'm not getting used to seeing the construction at Soldier Field. It just doesn't look right. The seating "bowl" is huge. It looks pretty damn awkward, sort of out of place. Anyway, we went to pickup our buddy Barry. We met Buffy up in Evanston to go to the Evanston Century 12 to see My Big Fat Greek Wedding. What an absolute fun flick! A Must see! The other cool thing is that it was only made for about $5 Million, and it was the 2nd highest grossing film this weekend! I didn't know it was filmed in Chicago.
After the movie, we went to the Davis Street Fishmarket. OK, this was a delight (I'm starting to sound like James Lipton...). I really loved this place. Loved the service, loved the food. Our girls got roses on the way in (have no idea why). Need to go back again. Highly recommended. Between the movie and dinner, it was a great evening. When we got home and picked-up the mail, we noticed we got out check from White Sox Charities! Thank ou again, Elvis! Except for the Sox losing, it really was a great day.
posted at 09:39 PM | Link | White Sox § |
Friday, September 06, 2002
The Isotopes
Do you remember an episode of The Simpsons from March 4, 2001 called "Hungry Hungry Homer"? Homer discovers that the owner of the Springfield Isotopes baseball team has a secret plan to move the team to Albuquerque. Now, in reality. Albuquerque doesn't have a baseball team. Well, they did - the Triple-A Dukes skipped town about about three years ago to go to Portland. Starting next year, however, the Calgary Cannons, the Triple-A Pacific Coast League affiliate of the Florida Marlins, is moving to New Mexico to become - you guessed it - the Albuquerque Isotopes! (I wonder if they'll sell Duff beer...)
posted at 10:39 PM | Link | Baseball § |
Confused dog
Trying to watch the White Sox game tonight. Gracie and Indy are checking each other out - both of them really want to play with each other, not realizing how bad of an idea that really is. Gracie actually has been a good dog this week. Indy has only been out about 2 hours this week, so she's a little frantic. Tomorrow, Carol and I drop off Gracie at my parents' house on the way to the White Sox - Indians game. Diane will finally be back from her road trip out west on Monday, and she'll pick up Chelsea and Gracie when back in town. (Diane should be at Jackson Lake Lodge in the Grand Teton National Park tonight, if she's still on schedule.)
posted at 09:24 PM | Link | Mundane § |
Saturday, August 31, 2002
Season Ticket Partyposted at 04:49 PM | Link | White Sox § |
Friday, August 30, 2002
NO STRIKE!!!posted at 11:29 AM | Link | Baseball § |
Thursday, August 29, 2002
Help the hitlessThis came in this morning's EMail...
A Plea for Help!
Since September 11, 2001, Americans have come together as never before in our generation. We have banded together to overcome tremendous adversity. We have weathered direct attacks on our own soil, wars overseas, corporate scandal, layoffs, unemployment, stock price plunges, droughts, fires, and myriad economic and physical disasters both great and small.
And now, we must come together once again to overcome our greatest challenge yet. Hundreds of Major League Baseball players in our very own nation are living at, or just below the seven-figure salary level. And as if that weren't bad enough they could be deprived of their life giving pay for several months, possibly longer, as a result of the upcoming strike situation.
But you can help!
For only $20,835 a month, about $694.50 a day (far less than the cost of a large screen projection TV) you can help a MLB player remain economically viable during his time of need. This contribution by no means solves the problem as it barely covers the annual minimum salary, but it's a start, and every little bit will help!
Although $700 may not seem like a lot of money to you, to a baseball player it could mean the difference between spending the strike golfing in Florida or on a Mediterranean cruise. For you, seven hundred dollars is nothing more than a month's rent, half a mortgage payment, two unemployment checks, or a month of medical insurance with COBRA; but to a baseball player, $700 will partial replace his daily salary. Your commitment of less than $700 a day will enable a player to buy that home entertainment center, trade in the year-old Lexus for a new Ferrari, or enjoy a weekend in Rio.
HOW WILL I KNOW I'M HELPING?
Each month, you will receive a complete financial report on the player you sponsor. Detailed information about his stocks, bonds, 401(k), real estate, and other investment holdings will be mailed to your home. Plus, upon signing up for this program, you will receive an unsigned photo of the player lounging during the strike on a beach somewhere in the Caribbean (for a signed photo, please include an additional $1,500). Put the photo on your refrigerator to remind you of other peoples' suffering.
HOW WILL HE KNOW I'M HELPING?
Your MLB player will be told that he has a SPECIAL FRIEND who just wants to help in a time of need. Although the player won't know your name, he will be able to make collect calls to your home via a special operator in case additional funds are needed for unforeseen expenses.
YES, I WANT TO HELP!
I would like to sponsor a striking MLB player. My preference is checked below:
[ ] Infielder [ ] Outfielder [ ] Starting Pitcher[ ] Ace Pitcher [ ] Entire team
Please call our 900 number to ask for the cost of a specific team - $10 per minute
[ ] Alex Rodriguez (Higher cost: $60,000 per day)
Please charge the account listed below $694.50 per day for the player for the duration of the strike. Please send me a picture of the player I have sponsored, along with an Alex Rodriguez 2001 Income Statement and my very own Donald Fehr MLB Players Union pin to wear proudly on my hat. (Include $800 for hat).
Your Name: _______________________
Telephone Number: ____________________
Account Number: _____________________ Exp.Date:_______
[ ] MasterCard [ ] Visa [ ] American Express [ ] Discover
Signature: _______________________
Alternate card (when the primary card exceeds its credit limit):
Account Number: _____________________Exp.Date:_______
[ ] MasterCard [ ] Visa [ ] American Express [ ] Discover
Signature: _______________________
Mail completed form to MLB Players Union now.
To enroll by phone call 900-555-BALL ($10 per minute).
Disclaimer: Sponsors are not permitted to contact the player they have sponsored, either in person or by other means including, but not limited to, telephone calls, letters, e-mail, or third parties. Contributions are not tax-deductible.
posted at 09:47 AM | Link | Baseball § |
Wednesday, August 28, 2002
White Sox 8 - Blue Jays 0
What an absolutely gorgeous day for a baseball game. I am so happy that I decided to go. Of course, I look like a lobster right now. At least the sunburn isn't hurting - yet. Not much of a crowd - 12,972. Saw something I have never seen before, but it's probably because I don't normally sit behind the plate - there was a bunch of scouts with radar guns watching Jon Garland and the Toronto relief pitcher Brian Bowles. I know that one of them had a Cubs logo on his polo shirt. Carlos Lee had a home run, and Magglio Ordonez had two home runs. I think I saw former Negro League's pitcher/catcher Ted "Double Duty" Radcliffe sitting at the top of my section. I saw him throw out the first pitch on his 100th birthday last month, and I've seen him on TV, sitting in the same location. Anyway, Sox win 8-0. Jon Garland pitched a complete game shutout.
After the game, people didn't leave. They just slowly left, lingering in the seats, lingering on the concourse. These were the people that just didn't belive that this could possibly be the last game of the year if the players strike on Friday. The customer service reps weren't chasing anybody out either. It's as if they understood as well. I just hung out for a while and watch them shut things down. Then I slowly walked down the ramps to my car. I hope the idiots that are negotiating understand what a strike will do to the game. I'm worried.
And like I've said before, it's screwing up my clock.
posted at 05:04 PM | Link | White Sox § |
Blog to goWell, I'm at Comiskey, posting via WAP from my phone. I was able to get a seat behind the plate. Looks like a small crowd, but it's still a half an hour before game time. Will this be the last home game?
posted at 12:29 PM | Link | Blogging § |
Sunday, August 25, 2002
White Sox 8 - Devil Rays 3
Back at Comiskey for what may be our last game of the season (if there's a strike Friday). (Three days watching Tampa Bay was too much, so we gave away our tickets for yesterday). It was one of the Willy Wonka Kid's day promotions. One of the big things is that the entire team is available for half an hour before the game for autographs. Two or three players station themselves at the bottom of a section and people just line-up and get stuff autographed. The team does this about once a month. Oh, and kids 13 and under pay $1 to get in (day of game only) and they can run the bases (weather permitting) after the game. It's a good promotion, and does bring out the families. The game started out shaky. Tony Graffanino went down in the outfield after backup up a play. He heard something "pop", and the game ground to a halt. he was able to walk off the field after a while, but he was put on the DL. Ouch. Sox win 8-3. I know know how lucky I was on Friday to win the Sox Split Charity Raffle. Friday's pot (that I won) was $3,585, yesterday's was $2,146, today's was $1,643.
posted at 09:37 PM | Link | White Sox § |
Friday, August 23, 2002
Thank you. Thank you very much...
THANK YOU ELVIS!!!!!
We were back at Comiskey Park tonight for what is always the strangest promotion night of the year- Elvis Night. Tons of Elvis impersonators - both professional and wanna be. There were three stages outside the park with impersonators performing. At least 5% of the people appear to be wearing Elvis-style sunglasses - with fake sideburns. Before the game, The E-Team - The Elvises of the Sky flew in the American Flag. (I was bummed - the weather was pretty weird and they couldn't jump after the game. They wear electric lighted jumpsuits, just like the Flying Elvises in the movie Honeymoon in Vegas.) The National Anthem was sung by impersonator Rick Saucedo. The only reason that I bring that up is a bit convoluted and "off topic" - over 20 years ago, we went to see a magician (who was a relation to our friend Teri) who was opening for Rick Saucedo. Teri brought her friend Kathy, and we went with my long-time friend Rick. They sort of "hooked-up" that night, got married, had 4 kids, and are still together. And to top it off, Kathy stumbled onto my website this past week (Hi, Kathy!). I'm going to have to find an old picture of us to put with this entry...
Anyway, during the game, there's Elvis trivia on the scoreboard. Some people perform in between some of the innings from on top of the dugouts.
The last time I saw my friend Peggy was two years ago, At Comiskey, on Elvis Night. Tonight, she was back with her husband Rob and daughter Maddie. It was absolutely great seeing them again. I knew they were at the game and went to visit them out in the bleachers. We sat around and talked and ate for an inning or so. Then they came over and visited us (our seats were along the third base side, pretty far down the line).
The weather is oppressive - it's not hot, it's in the low 70's, but the humidity is 94% and there's barely a wind. If feels stifling.
After the game, the Steppin' Out Dads do a little routine, then Shawn Klush ( a good impersonator) does a concert behind home plate. The E-Team was supposed to do their jump but FAA regs wouldn't let them. The night end with fireworks sponsored by Miller Lite.
Now, let's flash back a few innings... the White Sox have a charity raffle called Sox Split during the weekend games. Basically, you buy a ticket. The winner gets half the pot with the other half going to White Sox Charities. We actually won $804 back on June 28, 1998. Carol and I are both gamblers, so we always buy Split tickets when we go to the game. You never know.
Guess what? Yep, WE WON AGAIN. WE WON $3,585 !!!!! Thank you White Sox! Thank you Elvis!
Oh, the game? Sox lost 8-2. Against Tampa Bay. Against Tanyon Sturtze, who was 2-13 before the game and wound up pitching a complete game! We suck. One cool thing - Joe Crede hit the 1,000 home run by a White Sox player in new Comiskey Park (Frank Thomas was the first against Baltimore on April 22, 1991).
posted at 11:27 PM | Link | White Sox | 2 comments § |
Tuesday, August 20, 2002
Schaumburg FlyersWent to that Schaumburg Flyers game tonight with Carol's company. After this afternoon, I didn't expect to have a good time, but I did. My absolute best memories of when I was a kid was going to White Sox games with my dad. So sitting in a ballpark tonight was way more therapeutic than I thought.
posted at 08:55 PM | Link | Flyers § |
Friday, August 16, 2002
They set a date...STRIKE DATE - AUGUST 30, 2002
Bastards... Damn them all... they're gonna kill baseball if they can't get together... bastards...
posted at 11:32 AM | Link | Baseball | 1 comment § |
Sunday, August 11, 2002
White Sox 6 - Mariners 5posted at 10:16 AM | Link | White Sox § |
Saturday, August 10, 2002
White Sox 3 - Mariners 7
Back at Comiskey again. I hate Fox games - they start earlier and the breaks in between innings for commercials just makes for a long day. The Ichiro bandwagon rolled into town, and the place with crowded, mostly with his fans, not only Japanese-American but Japanese-Japanese! He has a very large and loyal following, and it's very interesting to watch. I've bitched and moaned about other team's fans coming to the park and being arrogant. these fans are nothing like that. Polite but boisterous. You can't help but be respectful of that. It's always something to see. Last year was the first time we witnessed this - and it was just so interesting. It was amazing how many people had come to the park with bento boxes and coolers, eating sushi (which is just something you don't see around Comiskey). It was a night game last year and there were many more Japanese-lettered signed than this year.
Anyway, the game was great... for 6 innings. Jon Garland was fine, with a 3-0 lead in the seventh and then he was left in just a little too long. We wound up losing 7-3. Frank Thomas, as usual, did nothing for us, going 0-4. He can't do anything in a clutch. I'm not happy with him.
After the game, we went over to Janie & Gary's for the annual "Chicken Burn" - the title refers to what Gary does to the food on the grill. It's usually the group of people that sit around us at the game, but due to conflicts, it was just the four of us. Gary didn't burn the chicken, and it was a very nice night, just sitting around and talking.
posted at 10:16 PM | Link | White Sox § |
Saturday, August 03, 2002
Arlington Parkposted at 05:09 PM | Link | Horse Racing § |
Wednesday, July 31, 2002
One less pitcher
The Fire Sale continues... though I didn't see this one coming. The Chicago White Sox have acquired minor league pitchers Frankie Francisco and Byeong Hak An from Boston in exchange for right-hander Bob Howry and cash considerations. They're sending both new guys to Class A Winston-Salem. OK, I don't like this move, but boy we're sure stockpiling pitchers throughout the farm system. Thank God the trade deadline has passed (4pm ET today for players to be traded without going through the waiver process).
posted at 06:48 PM | Link | White Sox § |
Monday, July 29, 2002
One less catcher
Can you say "Fire Sale!!!"??? Thursday, the White Sox traded away Ray Durham to Oakland. Yesterday, they traded away Kenny Lofton to the Giants. Today, the Sox are in Cooperstown to play in the Hall of Fame exhibition game against the Rockies. So, while they were there, they traded Sandy Alomar Jr. to the Rockies for minor league pitcher Enemencio Pacheco. Let's see... three veterans for: RHP Jon Adkins Class Triple-A Sacramento, LHP Ryan Meaux Class A Hagerstown, RHP Felix Diaz Class AA Shreveport, RHP Enemencio Pacheco Class A Salem. We get 2 Class A's, a Class AA, and a Class AAA. Jeez. I heard that Joe Crede is getting called-up, which may mean that they may be trying to move Jose Valentin or Royce Clayton. Great. Josh Paul gets called-up to take Sandy's place.
posted at 03:38 PM | Link | White Sox § |
Sunday, July 28, 2002
White Sox 4 - Royals 2posted at 09:42 PM | Link | White Sox | 2 comments § |
Saturday, July 27, 2002
White Sox 9 - Royals 1
Driving to Comiskey today was rough - there was a ton of traffic because of Venetian Night at the lakefront. It was a hot night - game time temperature was 90°, but the official box score said 84°. After the bottom of the first inning, we're sitting in our seats and we head this hearing and applause coming from the top of the next section over. We turn around to see... a bride and groom walking down the aisle! Their whole bridal party was there, parents, everybody. The bride still had her bouquet, but even though the groom was in his tux, it was topped-off with a Sox baseball cap. Then, in true baseball fan form, the groom sat down next to someone in the next section so that he could fill out his scorecard for the plays he missed in the first inning!!! The game wound-up being a blowout - the Sox won 9-1 over the Royals. Magglio Ordonez had 2 homeruns, Tony Graffanino and Aaron Rowand each had a homerun, and Carlos Lee had 2 doubles. It was our first time seeing Willie Harris. He didn't do much tonight (1 for 4 and an error). But ever since he joined the team, they're doing well (they won 10-2 last night). Coincidence?
posted at 11:41 PM | Link | White Sox § |
Thursday, July 25, 2002
One less second baseman
Nooooooooo!!!!! The White Sox traded Ray Durham to Oakland (along with cash!) for minor league pitcher Jon Adkins. They called-up Willie Harris to replace Ray-Ray. Damn. Sounds like GM Kenny Williams is starting to throw in the towel. Ray had the second-longest tenure with the Sox.
posted at 08:44 PM | Link | White Sox § |
Wednesday, July 24, 2002
There's crying in baseballSad. One of the Rockford Peaches, Mildred "Millie'' Deegan, died. If the team sounds familiar, it's because of the 1992 movie "A League of Their Own.''
posted at 11:09 AM | Link | Baseball § |
Tuesday, July 23, 2002
Penalty Box Police baseballposted at 10:41 PM | Link | Flyers § |
Wednesday, July 17, 2002
I wasn't even there
OK, I swear I wasn't there... It seems that the ivy at Wrigley Field is dying. Yes, I am anti-Cubs, but there's no way anybody should have done this. It's not right - the ivy at Wrigley is almost a sacred thing in the baseball universe. You don't touch it, you don't mess with it. There is speculation that a White Sox fan did this during the Cubs-Sox series there last month. I hope that's not the case - I wouldn't want to be associated with them.
posted at 11:59 PM | Link | Cubs § |
Sunday, July 14, 2002
ROAD TRIP!
Carol and I get up early, drive to Riverside to pickup Janie & Gary, and then it's off to Midway Airport, where we meet Jeff and we're on our way to Detroit. I've never flown on Southwest before, and getting an "A" boarding pass, I'm told, is good, but it doesn't matter - plane is empty. The flight is really short - just barely enough time for the complimentary juice & coffee service. The Detroit airport (DTW) is... well, let's just say, now that Midway has started it's remodeling, this airport is the pits. We get on the Hertz shuttle to get our Crown Vic and drive into the city.
Finding Comerica Park was actually a bit difficult - you can't see it from a distance. Heck, you can't see it a block or two away. It's tucked into a small area downtown. We got to the park pretty early - somehow we lost sight of the fact that the game started at 2:05 (we thought 1:05). So, we slowly walked around the outside of the park to see what it looked like.
We went in as soon as the gates opened, and proceeded to walk around the park. The food selection was a bit pitiful. It wasn't until later did I find the better food at "Big Cat Court", and that made things better, but within the normal stands it was a bit plain & boring (though I had a Kielbasa that was very tasty).
Our seats were 28 rows behind the plate - great view, but in the sun all through the game. This caused a major problem for Carol, who got what seems to be minor heatstroke even before the game started. She had to sit in a different area in the shade and we had to help her out with wet towels, lots of water, and some ice cream to help her cool down. She was better by about the 4th inning, but we kept in the shade for the whole game.
The game itself was OK. It looked like the Sox were going to lose again, but Carlos Lee had two homeruns, and then Jose Valentin hit a triple in the eighth that scored two and then scored himself when the throw to third went wild (sort of an in-the-park homerun, but not really). Sox win 6-4.
After the game, we walked (!) over to Greektown to have dinner at Pegasus. Well, I wasn't hungry after being out there all day, so Jeff and I took a walk through the Greektown Casino while the others ate dinner. It was weird being in Detroit and being in a land-based casino. It was a nice place, two floors - larger than I thought it would be. Sunday afternoon, almost every single table game we saw were $10 tables. I think we saw one $15 table.
Back to the restaurant, the group finished up, and then it was off to the airport. This time we all got "B" boarding passes - not a good omen. Sure enough, the flight home was packed. We got in 10 minutes early, and had to wait 20 minutes for a gate. Then we drove Jeff home, drove Janie & Gary home, and finally drove home ourselves. A very long day. Would we do it again? You bet!
posted at 10:06 PM | Link | White Sox § |
Tuesday, July 09, 2002
Suspend the All-Star Game?!?!?
Wha....???? They suspended the All Star Game after 11 innings in a 7-7 tie because they used all their players - both bullpens and benches were empty. The fans first booed the announcement when it was made at the beginning of the bottom of the 11th. After a while they all started chanting "Let them play! Let them play! Let them play!..." I mean, the fans showed up and paid good coin for this game - they should allow players to be "reused" since it's an exhibition game. Thank you, Bud Selig. Nice way to treat your hometown fans. And wait... no MVP??? Nice way to screwup a game.
posted at 11:36 PM | Link | Baseball § |
Sunday, July 07, 2002
White Sox 3 - Indians 9
Back at Comiskey, and there's something cool before the game. Former Negro League's pitcher/catcher Ted "Double Duty" Radcliffe, who was in a wheelchair, was brought out onto the field by Harold Baines. "Double-Duty" stood up, out of his wheelchair, and threw out the first pitch! Today was his 100th Birthday! He threw the pitch to one of the guys he used to manage - Buck O'Neill - who's 90 years old! How cool is that? It turns out, he always goes to Sox games. I need to see if I can find him the next time I'm at Comiskey. I saw a clip about him on TV when I got home - he's still very sharp. I think that it's great to have somebody from that era still around.
Oh, the game? Ew. Sox lost 9-3. Todd Ritchie, who is now 5-11 with a 5.82 ERA in 19 games and 108.1 IP, gave up a grand slam among his 6 earned runs. Yeah, that trade for Ritchie is working real well. Let's see - we got Ritchie for Kip Wells - 9-6 3.41 ERA in 18 games and 108.1 IP, Sean Lowe - 2-2 5.54 ERA in 31 games and 52.0 IP, and Josh Fogg - 9-6 3.56 ERA in 17 games and 103.2 IP. I don't know, but to me it looks like we got the wrong end of that deal for this season.
posted at 05:01 PM | Link | White Sox § |
Saturday, July 06, 2002
White Sox 7 - Indians 3
What a gorgeous day! It never did rain. There were some clouds for a while, but it turned into something pretty nice. Back at Comiskey for a series against the Cleveland Indians. This used to be the one series we used to loathe to go to. When Jacobs Field opened in Cleveland, the games were always sold out. The Sox took out ads in the Cleveland papers to invite people who couldn't get tickets at "The Jake" to come to Comiskey. Well, it filled the place, but God it was awful to sit there with all these Cleveland fans, who just about out-numbered the Sox fans. those days are gone - The Jake is no longer sold out, Cleveland is not in the pennant race and is trading top players, and now Comiskey is not filled with their fans. What a nice day! Game time temperature - 81 degrees. Interesting confluence of promotions today - Kellogg's Kids Week and Extreme Day sponsored by Mountain Dew with rock climbing walls, mechanical bulls, bikes, skateboards... The game was good, too, a nice close give-and-take game (the kind I like). Sox won 7-3.
After the game, we drove up Lake Shore Drive to Barry & Buffy's (another glorious ride up the drive on a gorgeous day). We decided to do a movie and dinner, so we drove back up to Evanston, to the Evanston Century 12 to see The Bourne Identity. Wow. good flick. Great car chase... in a Cooper Mini!!! (I'd love to get one of those cars). After the movie, we walked over to Merle's Smokehouse for some barbecue. Hey, I was surprised - this was good food and we had great service as well. You know, even though I feel like I'm living in my car the last few days, I really enjoyed today.
posted at 10:32 PM | Link | White Sox § |
Sunday, June 30, 2002
White Sox 2 - Cubs 9
Back at Comiskey. Hot. No, HOT! Game time temperature - 91°. Heat index 103°. Oh, this is bad. On top of that, we've got too many Sox fans getting cocky and bringing brooms into the park, hoping for a sweep in the series. And now there's way too many Cubs fans here today, and they're the mean, venomous ones that I always hate coming into my ballpark. Sure enough, Sox lose 9-2 (but, I have to hand it to Matt Clement - he pitched a great game). Sure enough, security is very active today and there are fights in the stands at the top of our section. Time to leave early to go to my parents for dinner. Too hot, too ugly.
posted at 08:43 PM | Link | White Sox § |
Saturday, June 29, 2002
White Sox 5 - Cubs 4
Back to Comiskey Park for a weekend series that I always dread - Interleague play against the Chicago Cubs. The game was sold out months ago. It's gong to be hot. It's not going to be fun. I mean, let's face it, both Chicago baseball teams suck right now. Game time is 12:15 for Fox. The parking lot opened 4 hours before game time to accommodate all those tailgaters that can't tailgate at Wrigley since there are no parking lots up there (all the lots that exist are "private"). Gate opened 2 hours before, and that's when we got there. We were successful in avoiding traffic and crowds, but we get inside the park... and there's no batting practice. Great. Nice PR move. get everybody there early and bore them to death. Great. The park fills just before first pitch. It's hot, but fortunately cooler near the lake - 86° at game time (it's going to be hotter tomorrow). The sun is a scorcher. The bottle water vendors are plunging their hands into the ice water that they're carrying and shaking their hands over the crowd to help lure them to buy more water. It's like they're baptizing the fans. Somehow, during the course of the game, there's a healthy give-and-take on the field and even in the stands. The Cubs fans that are here are good, and the Sox fans are on their good behavior around us. It turns out being a great day. It turns out to be the second-highest attendance ever at New Comiskey - 45,942 (yesterday, the first game in the series, was the highest ever - 46,027). Sox Win 5-4. A good day.
After the game, it's off to Barry & Buffy's to have a nice barbecue with Debbie. We leave the park, head east to Lake Shore Drive and head north. What a gorgeous day at the lake. People - believe me when I say this - driving north on Lake Shore Drive today reminds me of how beautiful this town is and why I live here. The new "bowl" is starting to take shape above the south rim of Soldier Field. Buckingham fountain looks great, Grant Park is full of people thanks to Taste of Chicago. Tons of people jogging on the bicycle path or riding their bikes... WAIT!!! HEY!!!... THAT WAS DICK BUTKUS THAT JUST DROVE BY ON HIS BICYCLE!!! OK, This is a great Chicago day! Had a nice dinner with B&B and Debbie - Barry grilled-up some pork chops on the grill. It was a very long day, but it felt like a good day.
posted at 11:28 PM | Link | White Sox § |
Saturday, June 22, 2002
Darryl Kile
OK, those of you know me, know that I'm a White Sox fan, and not a Cubs fan. What's more important, I'm a baseball fan. This is just absolutely shocking. I'm watching channel 32 - the local Fox affiliate in Chicago to pass the time and watch the Cubs-Cardinals game. Except - it's not on. It's been cancelled - St. Louis pitcher Darryl Kile was found dead in his hotel room at the Westin Chicago this morning. He was supposed to start tomorrow. In an sad twist, Joe Buck who had eulogized his dad Jack Buck just yesterday made the announcement on Fox. Cubs catcher Joe Girardi came out to address the packed Wrigley Field crowd to announce the cancellation with a catch in his voice and the whole Cubs team behind him, all dressed in their home whites. "Excuse me. Thank you for your patience. We regret to inform you that because of a tragedy in the Cardinals family, that the commissioner has cancelled the game today". He also asked the crowd to "Please be respectful, you will eventually find out what happened. And please say a prayer for the St. Louis Cardinal family." How much tragedy can the St. Louis baseball family take?
posted at 02:39 PM | Link | Baseball § |
Kari Lehtonenposted at 01:50 PM | Link | Hockey § |
Saturday, June 08, 2002
White Sox 1 - Expos 2
Back to Comiskey Park. Tonight, Barry is with me - Carol was at my cousin Jane's surprise Bridal Shower this afternoon at Cog Hill. First thing we did was to go upstairs to the Stadium Club to watch the Belmont Stakes. It was 70-1 long shot Sarava the winner (a record $142.50 for a $2 bet) - War Emblem didn't get the Triple Crown, finishing 8th (but was in first for a while, after stumbling out of the gate).
Anyway, it's Interleague time again, or as Carol calls it - cross-pollination. The first inning starts good - 3 up/3 down. Then we're up. Kenny Lofton triples to right (Vladimir Guerrero dove to his left and didn't come up with the ball, and Kenny just kept chugging). Ray Durham sacrificed to deep right and scores Lofton. OK, Good start. Frank Thomas strikes out - nothing new. Magglio Ordonez singles to right, Jose Valentin singles to right, Carlos Lee walks. BASES LOADED, Jeff Liefer steps to the plate. What the hell is he doing in the game? Where's Paul Konerko? Must be a lefty-righty thing. Sure enough - strike out. That summarizes what the Sox have been doing for the last month. It looked like we would get to Tomo Ohka, but it never happened. Jon Garland looked pretty good - retiring the first 12 batters. Expos tied it in the 5th. Both teams struggle the rest of the game, trying to do anything. Keith Foulke come in to pitch the 9th. First pitch to Vladimir Guerrero - home run. Thank you, Keith Foulke. He's caused more pain than good for the Sox lately. Bottom of the 9th, Frank Thomas flies out then Magglio Ordonez walks on 4 pitches. OK, we have a baserunner. On the first pitch, Jose Valentin hits into a double play. It's over. Ordonez, again, made no attempt to break it up, like I said during the Yankee game.
WE SUCK.
posted at 10:32 PM | Link | White Sox § |
Thursday, June 06, 2002
Whole lotta cupsposted at 11:44 AM | Link | Hockey § |
Monday, June 03, 2002
Chicago Wolves 2002 Calder Cup Champions
Let me start by saying - I'm glad I'm going to the doctor tomorrow to get back on my blood pressure medication! The crowd was even louder, up from 5,022 Thursday and 9,115 Friday to 15,132, the second largest in the 66-year history of the AHL. Steve Maltais get's two goals in the first period only 2:15 apart. It feels good. In the second period, Malts gets another goal for the hat trick. Ooo, this is feeling good. Then Bridgeport scores a goal. And then another. And then another. Crap - it's the end on two periods and it's all tied 3-3. The officials start letting the players go - the penalties are stopping and the crowd is going nuts. Third period - no penalties, also no scoring. We go into overtime, and then something ugly happens. No one sees it because it happens behind the play, but Dallas Eakins is laying flat on his back with his arms outstretched, not moving at all. AT ALL. And Nobody sees him in the corner. NOBODY. The officials never blow the whistle, no team member comes over, play is at the other end of the ice. Pasi doesn't even go over to him. The crowd goes nuts. THEN the whistle blows, and Bridgeport's trainer is first to Dallas with other Wolves team members. The place goes quiet. the team doctors come up the tunnel. Next thing we know, Dallas is up and going back to the bench! No penalties were called. In fact, again, no penalties that period. No scoring that period either! We go into the second overtime. Then, at 2:05 into the second overtime, Yuri Butsayev scores the winning goal and the Wolves win the Calder Cup during their first year in the league. Well, the place went up for grabs at that point. I've never seen so much hugging and high-fives amongst the fans before. The team is going nuts on the ice. Then, of course, the obligatory handshakes. And then the red carpet gets rolled out, a table setup, and the trophies are walked out. Pasi Nurminen is awarded the Jack A. Butterfield Trophy as the Calder Cup Playoffs' most valuable player. The Calder Cup is then presented to the team captain, Steve Maltais. Then the streamers and confetti rain down, Queen's "We Are The Champions" starts playing, and the team takes turns, passing the cup around player to player to allow them to skate part of a victory lap around the ice and show the fans.
Yes, I know it's only a minor league team, but in a town like Chicago, you grab what you can. And having a cup is, as Martha would say, a "good thing."
(Boxscore)
posted at 11:49 PM | Link | Wolves § |
Friday, May 31, 2002
Wolves 4 - Sound Tigers 2
Back for Game 4 at the Allstate Arena. Bridgeport scored first tonight, and it was just a real flat game. A lot of tickey-tackey penalties. It just was going back and forth, pretty evenly - it was 1-1 after the 1st, 2-2 after the second. Then things started getting turned up a bit. The crowd was loud, up from 5,022 Thursday to 9,115 tonight. Rick DiPietro showed that he hasn't been going to his "Wandering Goalies Anonymous" meetings. Somehow, the kid thinks he need to play every puck that comes near him. We just need to remember that - and I think we do - to see how we can capitalize on it. Brad Tapper tipped in a slapshot from the high slot by Dallas Eakins. Andreas Karlsson had an empty netter that he struggled to get working over a Bridgeport defender, and actually got kicked by Ricky, who was sitting on the wall and not on the bench. Pasi Nurminen saved 29 of 31 shots while Ricky only saved 14 of 17 shots. We lead 3-1 in the series and actually have a possibility of winning the Calder Cup at home on Monday! How unlike me - a bit too optimistic, but it'd be pretty cool.
(Boxscore)
posted at 10:43 PM | Link | Wolves § |
Thursday, May 30, 2002
Wolves 4 - Sound Tigers 0
What a game - what a game - what a game! Back again at the Allstate Arena, this time for the third game of the AHL Calder Cup Finals. I'm still in shock that the Wolves are actually playing for the cup. The series is tied 1-1. I was hoping that the team can really take it to the Bridgeport Sound Tigers (and what the hell is a Sound Tiger? The logo says Sound Tigers and not Tigers). I really wanted to see the team stick it to "Ricky". Ricky is Rick DiPietro that I talked about last week. As much as I thought Jean-Francois Labbe, the goalie for Syracuse Crunch was nuts, I think Ricky is just a punk kid whose ego is much larger than his current ability. Well, we got to him all right. He was making mistakes all night. Once, he went behind the net and half-nelson'ed one of our players, so he got a penalty for interference. Later, while there was a "fire drill" (Judd Sirott's words) in front of his net, Ricky was swimming and flopping around on the ice. He turned his back to the play to try to get up and yep, we scored on him. Later on in frustration, to clear the puck out of the zone, he threw it up in the air and took a full swing at it to send it down the ice - just a real cocky move. So we stuck it to them - the Wolves won 4-0. How sweet - we had a shutout, and we were able to score 4 times on Ricky. Aw, poor Ricky. Pasi Nurminen stopped all 28 shots (Ricky stopped 19 of 23). The crowd, though not as big I would have wished, was loud, and I know that helped the team (they've made a lot of comments in the press about wanting to play at home and having loud and involved fans. Guess we did our job tonight. I hope we can keep this up. (Boxscore)
posted at 10:19 PM | Link | Wolves § |
Monday, May 27, 2002
White Sox 6 - Yankees 10
Went to Comiskey today. We suck. The Yankees beat us 10-6 (hey... this is sounding familiar...) OK, let's talk about the positive side of the night - there was a tribute to former White Sox third baseman Robin Ventura (it was his first trip back to Comiskey since 1998 - he's been in the National League playing for the Mets, and this year he plays for the Yankees). Everyone gave him a standing "o" and he came out to acknowledge the crowd. It was great. Oh, and Frank Thomas celebrated his 34th Birthday.
OK, let's talk about the bad side of the evening. We get there an hour & a half before the game - normally enough time. Tonight, the parking lots are full. Tonight's attendance - 43,781. We're not used to people actually being at the park! And the inflation in the attendance was all due to Yankee fans. Not just Yankee fans, those goddam sombitch arrogant friggin' big-mouthed Yankee fans. I hated every single one of those bastards. It's one thing to root for your team, it's another thing to antagonize the people around you, the friggin' bastards. Another way to tell that the increase in attendance wasn't due to White Sox fans? They were doin' the friggin' wave in the upper deck!!! You don't go to a damn baseball game in Chicago (even on the North Side) and do the friggin' wave!!!!!!!! Fights? Oh, sure. I saw a lot of people getting hauled out of the park - something we don't normally see. Screw you, you damn Yankee fans. Get the hell out our ballpark... Oh, and Carol almost attacked some blonde bimbo that was sitting behind us, but that's another story. She did lose it, though. I was a bit concerned. Anyway, Danny Wright gave up 6 runs on 5 hits in the first inning on 39 pitches. That was the game - if it wasn't for the first inning, the outcome would have been different. Jose Valentin twisted his ankle on a grounds crew hose when going after a foul ball. He's day-to-day now. The guy that's bothering me right now is Magglio Ordonez. He's not base running well - he seems to be giving up on double-play balls, making no attempt to get to first (in case someone bobbles the ball, which happened tonight) or at least attempt to take out the shortstop/second baseman. I don't know, it just doesn't feel right. Anyway, we were glad to get the hell out of Comiskey tonight.
posted at 11:06 PM | Link | White Sox § |
Sunday, May 26, 2002
White Sox 2 - Tigers 9posted at 11:03 PM | Link | White Sox § |
Friday, May 24, 2002
Wolves 5 - Sound Tigers 4posted at 11:04 PM | Link | Wolves § |
Wednesday, May 22, 2002
Calder Cup Finalsposted at 09:12 PM | Link | Wolves § |
Sunday, May 19, 2002
Wolves 7 - Aeros 0posted at 05:31 PM | Link | Wolves § |
Saturday, May 18, 2002
White Sox 10 - Angels 4
So it's, what, May 18? It's 48° at game time tonight. Mother Nature is screwing us yet again. Carol and I go to the park and head directly for the Stadium Club and get seats on the rail (not on the glass, but great seats anyway). This is why we spend the money for the Stadium Club - for shelter from cold, rain, and excessive heat. Around the 5th inning I take a trip downstairs and get our buddy Victor (otherwise known as The Diz on WGCI 107.5 FM) (who sits next to us) and Jeff & his date (who sit next to Victor) and rescue them from the cold with the warmth of the Stadium Club. As far as the game, well, Frank Thomas had two home runs, Paul Konerko and Jose Valentin each had a home run as the Sox win 10-4 over the Angels. Pitching was scary again. Gary Glover got the win. Kelly Wunsch made his first appearance after missing almost a year with arm surgery. He faced 3 batters and only threw 9 pitches with one walk and one hit. Rocky Biddle, Damaso Marte, Antonio Osuna and finally Bob Howry all pitched. Sounds and feels a bit excessive.
posted at 10:29 PM | Link | White Sox § |
Friday, May 17, 2002
Wolves 2 - Aeros 1
I really don't know how Pasi Nurminen keeps doing it! The Wolves won 2-1 of the Houston Aeros and now lead the series 3-1. Officiating - crap, as usual for the AHL. Very uneven all season. Tonight, just 1:34 into the first period, Dan Snyder got mauled at center ice behind the play. Referee didn't see it. So Danny goes back, puts his stick between the aggressors' legs, and yanks straight up. Guy hits the ice. Referee didn't see it, but a linesman does. Danny gets a Five Minute Spearing penalty along with a game misconduct, because they think it was with intent to injure. Great, there goes one of out leading scorers, whose scored game winning goals in 4 playoff games. Somehow, we still survive. Pasi stopped 34 shots, and the one he didn't was a weird wrap-around where Pasi was down on the ice on the other side. Just looked weird. Finally had 7,035 people instead of the usual 2,000.
posted at 10:46 PM | Link | White Sox § |
Wednesday, May 15, 2002
Wolves 4 - Aeros 1
Here we go again... Back again at the Allstate Arena, this time for the third game of the AHL Western Conference Finals. I'll be honest with you, and I think I've alluded to this a few times before, I am very surprised at being here. I didn't think a seventh seed team, that wasn't playing well, would make it this far in the playoffs. This is a best-of-seven series against our old IHL nemesis - the Houston Aeros. How much of a nemesis? In the old IHL, Chicago won the Turner Cup in 1998. Houston won it in 1999. Chicago won again in 2000 (after beating Houston in the Conference Final), and as far as 2001 is concerned - well, we lost the Turner Cup to the Orlando Solar Bears. But, the Solar Bears disbanded and did not make it into the AHL. However, The Solar Bears NHL affiliate was the Atlanta Thrashers - the new affiliate for the Wolves this year, so we have a few players from that Turner Cup team as well (like Turner Cup winning goaltender Norm Maracle, Dan Snyder and J.P. Vigier). The Wolves have met Houston in the Conference Finals three times in four years. Enough of the history. The series is tied at 1-1. The Wolves won tonight 4-1 with some brilliant goaltending by Pasi Nurminen. Man, I love this guy.
After the game, walking to the car, we got a little scare. The Allstate Arena is right under the approach to runway 22R at O'Hare - and I mean right under the approach. If you've ever been there, watching the planes coming in is great. I do it all the time when I'm there. It's something I've actually done all my life - watching airplanes. Plane spotting (as opposed to Train Spotting). When I was in grade school, I would take the O'Hare Express bus from Jefferson Park to the airport just to walk around and watch. (Now, of course, the Blue Line El goes there directly, but not back in those days). Over time, you know traffic flows. You know the airlines that serve ORD, you know their fleets. Just like any other hobby, or a fan of something, over time, you learn and you just know. I was watching traffic coming into ORD on the way to the game, noticing that they were using 22R and 14L. When we came out, I could see the traffic in the dark lined up. But something isn't right. There's and aircraft coming in, amd I can't recognize what it is because it's moving fast and it has only a single landing light. There's no strobes, only blinking red & green marker lights. Then as it flies very low overhead I can see it as light reflects up at it's underbelly... it's a damn F-15 landing at O'Hare... That's weird. And then I look down the approach path again, and I see another aircraft, this time no landing light, just the green/red lights. Another F-15... But this time, right over the Allstate Arena, it breaks right and pulls away... what the hell is going on??? I never found out. A few minutes later, a Continental 737-700 comes over and lands normally. The traffic around the airport looks normal. It was a little scary seeing military now a days.
posted at 10:04 PM | Link | Wolves § |
Sunday, May 12, 2002
Another reason why AT&T Broadband Cable sucksOK, picture this. We come home from our fantastic dinner, and start to watch the Wolves game on AT&T Cable (They're playing the Houston Aeros in the second game in the AHL Western Conference Finals). The game is tied at 3-3, and continues into the second overtime period. Then, with about 6 minutes left in the second overtime, they make an announcement saying that you must tune to WCKG (105.9 FM) is you want to follow the game, because at midnight, they're dropping the television broadcast on AT&T!!!! WTF!?!?!? Why is it so damned important to air some crappy public access cable show instead of a hockey game that's made it into the second overtime period (at least)??? At 11:58PM, the Wolves score the game winning goal with exactly six minutes left in the period (Dan Snyder, his fourth game-winning goal of the playoffs), thus saving the fans from losing the TV feed. Still another reason why AT&T Broadband Cable sucks...
posted at 12:11 AM | Link | Wolves § |
Tuesday, May 07, 2002
Wolves on cableposted at 09:03 PM | Link | Wolves § |
Sunday, May 05, 2002
White Sox 2 - Athletics 3posted at 10:09 PM | Link | White Sox § |
Saturday, May 04, 2002
White Sox 10 - Athletics 2posted at 11:12 PM | Link | White Sox § |
Blogging from my seat...Well, here I am at Comiskey Park, actually sitting in my seat, using my cell phone to post this via WAP. Too cool, but really too time consuming keying-in text using the keypad. The Sox are playing Oakland. It's a pitching duel - sort of. Oakland scored in the first... Oh crap! Jose Valentin just hit a triple with the bases loaded! I think I had better stop playing with the phone and watch the game - we're winning 4-1!
posted at 07:21 PM | Link | Blogging § |
Friday, May 03, 2002
Wolves 3 - Crunch 1
Back again at the Allstate Arena for the fifth game of the AHL Western Conference Semifinals. It was a whole new series, as the Wolves on Wednesday tied-up the series 2-2 against Syracuse. Their goalie, Jean-Francois Labbe, is a certifiable nut case. If you get under his skin, he looses concentration and goes nuts - even committing penalties like high sticking. We noticed on Wednesday that when he "conditions" his crease area, he stacks the "snow" on either side of the goalposts. OK, not a big deal, but he builds snow castles - huge mounds - and they're outside the posts, so if a puck get's anywhere near the net, it slows down or stops. And he stacks it up higher on his glove side than his stick side. Well, somebody must have noticed he's doing this because Brad Tapper kept going over a knocked his piles around. And this pissed him off. Bad. And then the linesmen would go over and take the snow away. And he'd bitch and complain. And it would get under his skin. And fester. And he'd get a little out of control.
Tonight was no exception. The snow piles didn't stay long. The linesmen were always cleaning them up. Labbe didn't look happy. Apparently, Brad Tapper took some quick French lessons from Guy Larose and was really yakking at Labbe. Labbe took a lot of exception to the taunts. Now, Syracuse scored first, but it took until the second period to do it. Labbe was still nuts. At the end of the period, he waited for Pasi Nurminen to leave the ice and skated up to him and went after him. That was the first of two penalties that Labbe had tonight. He just doesn't like being messed with. Oh, poor wittle Labbe... So, during the third period the Wolves scored three times (including still another empty net goal), and now, all of a sudden, Instead of being down in the series 0-2, we're up in the series 3-2. The Wolves travel to Syracuse for the final two games. I just hope they remember what it took to win here and bring that with them...
posted at 10:49 PM | Link | Wolves § |
Wednesday, May 01, 2002
Wolves 3 - Crunch 1
Back at the Allstate Arena tonight for the fourth game of the AHL Western Conference Semifinals. It's not a good omen when, in front of your own net, your own player who is charging the net to help out on defense winds up actually scoring a goal for the opposing team before he gets buried into the net (thank you Mike Weaver). However, the rest of the game was very good. Very strong play and we finally figured out one thing - to score on Jean-Francois Labbe you have to go top shelf. The Wolves beat Syracuse 3-1. Pasi Nurminen has been very, very, very good in net. Oh, another thing - Syracuse doesn't like to lose. They seem to be a bunch of sore losers, so Friday's game should be interesting.
A note: watching the matrix boards during the game for announcements has been interesting, but two items caught my attention tonight: Happy 30th Birthday Petey. Clearly, if you're 30, I think it's time to stop everyone from calling you Petey. And then you have to wonder what this person is like: Happy 34th Birthday Demonella.
On a totally different note note related to hockey or birthdays, we heard from Barry late this afternoon. He's back home from the hospital. He went through 6 bags of IV antibiotics and he says the swelling has definitely gone down, and that the throbbing pain has also subsided a bit. He's in that "uncomfortable" feeling zone right now. We hope he recovers well.
posted at 10:15 PM | Link | Wolves § |
Monday, April 29, 2002
Wolves 4 - Crunch 2
Back at the Allstate Arena tonight for the third game of the AHL Western Conference Semifinals. The Syracuse Crunch are leading the Wolves 2-0 in a best of seven series. The Wolves looked bad on TV, playing like, well, wimps. No aggression at all. Tonight - even though Andreas Karlsson got the first goal of the game, we're flat again. We're not finishing checks, we're not going after the puck. Next thing you know, we're losing 2-1 in the first period. Second period - same crap and we're taking stupid penalties like Brad Tapper cross-checking a guy in the back of the head. . Third period - something's different. They're finishing their checks. There's pressure in the attacking zone. All of a sudden, we're on a power play and Kamil Piros scores. OK, we're tied. We've got a chance. Then 10 minutes later J.P. Vigier scores. We get to the final minute, Syracuse pulls their goalie for an extra attacker, and Steve Maltais scores an empty netter. Wolves win 4-2, giving Syracuse their first loss in the playoffs. Game 4 Wednesday.
posted at 09:59 PM | Link | Wolves § |
Sunday, April 21, 2002
White Sox 11 - Tigers 8
Such a cold, windy, rainy day... let's go to a baseball game! 43°. Thank God we made reservations for a window seat up in the Stadium Club bar at Comiskey. It felt good knowing that we could go to the park and not worry about how to dress for the weather. We got there early and got a good seat. Had a great lunch (the food is always good - the facility is handled by Levy Restaurants).
The game was "iffy" again. Oh, sure, we scored 8 runs in the first inning (Jose Valentin had a home run, and Tigers starter Jose Lima only lasted 2/3 of an inning), but that doesn't mean anything anymore when you have a questionable starting pitcher. Today it was Jon Rauch (who is now officially the tallest player to ever play in the majors at 6' 11"). Well, those 8 runs weren't very secure as Rauch gave up 8 runs in 4 innings. I still don't know how a pitcher can feel the ball and control it in weather situations like this. Finally, in the 7th, Ray Durham came up to pinch hit with the bases loaded (he was out of the lineup with a chest cold - yesterday he had an ingrown toenail dug out. Ew.) and hit a single (which was misplayed by Tigers LF Bobby Higginson) that scored 3 runs and gave us the game. Whew. Watching the game from behind the glass sure made the game more enjoyable.
Went to my parents' house for dinner. I jealous again - my sister is going to the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival next weekend. She always goes to great destinations for these great little getaways.
Watched the Wolves on cable TV and they won against Grand Rapids and advance to the Calder Cup Western Conference Semifinals! We never thought they would go further in the playoffs! They now play the Syracuse Crunch (the number 1 seed) in a best-of-7, but we don't know when.
posted at 09:18 PM | Link | White Sox § |
Saturday, April 20, 2002
White Sox 12 - Tigers 5
Another weekend at Comiskey Park. Today, other than the game against the Tigers, was Dog Day. People (with advance paperwork) can bring their dogs to the park for the day. There's a pre-game parade, the dogs and owners all sit together in their own section of the bleachers, and the outfield concourse is loaded with tables from local humane and pet organizations. It really is a fun time. For the last few years, it was held in August. There have been days where the temperatures were pretty high, and the dogs didn't fare very well being out in all that concrete in this heat. The Sox decided to change the date this year to April to help with the comfort level.
April is not the correct month to do this.
The day was miserable. Gametime temperature - 45°. Wind - 20 mph. Windchill in the 20's. This is not baseball weather. We got there early to look at the dogs as they entered the park at Gate 1. We went inside and it was pretty empty. The pre-game parade was one of the longer ones that I can remember. I also used to remember a costume judging aspect to all this - they must have stop doing that since we didn't hear anything about the winners.
The game started out a little rough. Jon Garland didn't have the command of his pitches. But then again, how can a pitcher really feel the ball when you're pitching with windchills in the 20's? Again, the Sox offense was unbelievable. Jose Valentin, Frank Thomas, and Magglio Ordonez had home runs and Paul Konerko hit a Grand Slam.
By the end of the 6th inning we had enough of the weather and went upstairs to the Stadium Club to watch the rest of the game and get a quick bite. We made reservations for seats on the glass for tomorrow - the weather is actually supposed to be worse.
The Sox won 12-5. They now have the highest team slugging percentage in all of baseball at .509 and highest team batting average at .316. Pitching, well... 5th in the AL 18th in baseball with a 4.39 ERA., third in the AL in Fielding Percentage but 14th in all of baseball. It's obvious we're all offense. We need the pitching to come around, but that's something we saw during spring training. All I want right now is to either stay tight to the division leader or get on top and get some room between us and the rest of the division.
posted at 05:08 PM | Link | White Sox § |
Friday, April 19, 2002
Wolves 0 - Griffins 3
Oh, crap. I just got back from the Wolves game. To say the Wolves came out "flat" is an understatement. there was no scoring until Grand Rapids scored at 5:55 into the third period. It went downhill from there. Referee Ian Walsh didn't call anything and because of it the game play got out of hand. Quickly. There was one 5-on-5 melee that was pretty intense. So, the Griffins wind up on a power play to end the game. What happens? Somehow, the coach pulls Nurminen, just so there can be a 5-on-5 - only the rest of the team didn't know it - the final goal is an empty netter, with 1:20 left in the game. The real fight began when the Griffins' Wade Brookbank sucker punched somebody on the Wolves (it could have been Joe DiPenta), and a 6-on-6 donnybrook ensued - yep, goalie Pasi Nurminen skated all the way across the ice to go after Martin Prusek who was still in his crease. Walsh just stood behind the net with his notepad taking names. DiPenta went into the penalty box during the fight with a huge gash on his head and had to be attended to by the trainer. Somebody on the Griffins had his jersey stripped off and he was in the fight naked from the waist up (except for his shoulder pads). The linesmen were scraping the blood off the ice for a while after the gloves and sticks were picked up. Seven players got penalties, including David Van Drunen of the Griffins who got a game misconduct (you know - he must be the naked guy... I think that if your jersey gets removed, it means that you didn't have your fight strap hooked-up, and I think that's a game misconduct). I blame Walsh for all of this. He let it escalate throughout the game.
The Wolves lost 3-0, and now go back to Michigan tied 2-2 for a deciding fifth game on Sunday. (Boxscore)
Francis Lessard served his third game of a ten game suspension (a result of receiving a game misconduct penalty for physical abuse of officials last Saturday in Grand Rapids). Thank you so much for going postal.
posted at 10:56 PM | Link | Wolves § |
Wednesday, April 17, 2002
Wolves 2 - Griffins 1posted at 10:12 PM | Link | Wolves § |
Monday, April 15, 2002
How I remember Tax DayHere it is tax day. Four years ago today I was released from Brunswick just months shy of 20 years of service. After a few consulting gigs, and one wonderful ride (while it lasted) at Whittman-Hart/marchFIRST, I'm still looking for a job. I hate this. It almost feels like the world is revolving without me, like I'm not plugged-in to the industry anymore. The job market is really bad, but at least a job posting or two pops up every couple of weeks. I can't imagine how many resumes these recruiters get for a single opening. Carol & I need to get me back in the stream of things. I feel like a cast-off.
posted at 11:00 AM | Link | Mundane § |
Sunday, April 14, 2002
White Sox 9 - Orioles 4posted at 09:24 PM | Link | White Sox § |
Saturday, April 13, 2002
Hey! It's Lisa!posted at 10:37 PM | Link | The Mole § |
White Sox 4 - Orioles 3posted at 10:18 PM | Link | White Sox § |
Friday, April 12, 2002
White Sox 5 - Orioles 2 - Home Opener
Another long day, but baseball started at Comiskey and I felt that "clock" that moves move life start ticking again. We were pretty excited to see what the new renovations looked like at the Park. There was four things that were done over the winter - the first we wouldn't be able to see, and that was the enclosure and rehab of the Club level concourse and concessions. Another renovation was minor, but was put to the test during the game - a new backstop. This one is a much finer mesh and it's just a vertical screen - there is no longer a net to cover the people behind the plate. If there's a foul ball behind the plate, people now must pay attention because the net won't save them!
The other two renovations were hard to miss. The old black aluminum "Batter's Eye" in center field was torn apart and rebuilt to include plantings (bushes and IVY). On top is a large plaza area that had a series of picnic tables. To block any distraction of the fans from the batters, is a large green nylon "screen" that lined the plaza area. It's difficult to see people moving behind the screen, so the batters shouldn't be distracted. The problem is that the screen is pretty hard to see through. You can sort of see the field, but it's almost impossible to see the ball.
The biggest renovation and the one that we were really excited about was the main concourse. Everything was redone in brick and aluminum, with new lighting, signage and new designs for all the concession stands - it totally changed the feel of the park when you were walking around. It was amazing. It's gorgeous, and it's in the right "direction" to change the over all look of the park. And then I heard on the radio the one thing that I've wanted for years that I think will be the biggest change to the look of the park: in the future, the seats and padding on the walls will be changed from blue to dark green! YES!!! You'll see more pictures of the rennovations in the next couple of games. For some reason, they've named most of the concession stands after former White Sox players
So, what about the game?, Oh yeah, the Sox won 5-2 over the Orioles. Mark Buehrle pitched 7 innings of 2-hit ball (he's now 3-0 with a 0.95 ERA). Home runs by Jose Valentin, Sandy Alomar Jr., and Ray Durham. Kenny Lofton was 3-for-3 with a walk. Keith Foulke got another save, but he's still looking shaky - he gave up 2 hits in the 9th, and his ERA is still high at 6.35, which isn't good for a closer. There were a lot of questionable calls from the entire umpiring crew, that almost made it feel like there was a conspiracy against us. Weird. And, in typical White Sox fan fashion - not a sell out, but 41,128 were there. The game lasted only 2:24, which was great. (ESPN Boxscore here)
After the game, we drove out to Riverside to have dinner with our Season Ticket buddies Janie & Gary (who we were sitting with during the game). First we made our flight reservations - we're going to Detroit to see the Sox play the Tigers at Comerica Park on July 14th. Should be fun, and I really enjoy seeing new ballparks. We went out to dinner at a restaurant called the Choo Choo Cafe in Riverside. Now, when I heard the name of this place, I had this thought of old women serving coffee in gingham dresses and aprons to patrons sitting at red & white checkerboarded oil clothed tables. Not so. This is a bit "upscale" and the food was great. Carol & Gary and lamb shanks, Janine had some encrusted chicken thing, & I had a New York Strip that was one of the better pieces of meat that I've had in a while.
Long day but a good day.
posted at 09:12 PM | Link | White Sox § |
Thursday, April 11, 2002
Wolves 3 - Mighty Ducks 2posted at 10:13 PM | Link | Wolves § |
Wednesday, April 10, 2002
Wolves 3 - Mighty Ducks 2
Oh my God, this turned into a long night... Back at the Allstate Arena for the second game of this silly AHL Qualifying Series. It took two overtimes, but the Wolves won over Cincinnati 3-2 on a goal by Zdenek Blatny. The boxscore says there were 2,061 people there, which means the attendance was down from yesterday's game. There wasn't any "desperation playing" by either team. The game was relatively penalty-free. Both teams, though, looked pretty tired. It made me comment that the team that wins will win because of a mistake. Blatny's goal was on a slapshot that tipped off the glove of the Duck's rookie goaltender Joey MacDonald (who never played a game in the AHL before tonight). Frederic Cassivi actually looked good (and at times, stellar), stopping 43 shots (Last year, Cassivi led the AHL a 1.49 goals-against average during the playoffs with the Hershey Bears).
Oh, and I spoke too soon yesterday about "Chuck-A-Puck" - someone actually won the $500 tonight by getting their puck in the helmet!
On the downside, someone else was hit with a puck during the game. An elderly gentleman in the section next to us was hit in the side of the head with the puck. He wasn't watching the game - he was looking into a bag of candy that friends of ours offered to him. The security guys (like Rick who sits right behind the official scorers) responded quickly, and so did two paramedics who saw the incident from across the arena. Friends of the gentleman, who left with him, came back for the overtime periods. They told us that he got 4 staples to close the wound. (And to show how awkward this was, it turns out that this man has had 2 brain surgeries in the past). So between the candy, and the fact that the usher at the top of our section invited this guy to come to the game, there were a few people that felt bad about the whole situation.
posted at 11:04 PM | Link | Wolves § |
Symmetry. Catch it.How strange of a sports coincidence is this??? Chicago is playing Detroit in Detroit today. So? It's the Chicago White Sox at the Detroit Tigers, the Chicago Blackhawks at the Detroit Red Wings, and the Chicago Bulls at the Detroit Pistons!!! All today!!! Weird, eh? Oh, and on a different sporting note, I heard that the Florida Marlins ran out of hotdogs in the fourth inning of their home opener! How could someone let that happen?
posted at 12:44 PM | Link | Sports § |
Tuesday, April 09, 2002
Wolves 2 - Mighty Ducks 3
The Wolves first journey towards the AHL Calder Cup began tonight... and nobody cared. Not the fans, and surely not the team. First, this round is just weird. The season just ended Sunday, and two days later is a best of three qualifying series of games. The Wolves (the #7 seed in the Western Conference) play the Cincinnati Mighty Ducks (the #10 seed). All three games are played here and all on consecutive nights (Tuesday-Wednesday-Thursday). Well, there was nobody in the stands. The box score said that the attendance was 2,119, but that was paid. It sure looked empty inside the Allstate Arena. I think it was emptier than some of the severe snow days that we've had. The turnout was just bad. And then they decide to do their old stand-by charity event - "Chuck-A-Puck". This is where you purchase an orange, foam rubber puck for $2 (3 for $5) with a number on it. During one of the intermissions, a member of the Wolf Pack will go out to center ice and place a helmet (open side up) in the middle of the ice. Then all the fans throw their pucks onto the ice, trying to get their puck into the helmet to win $500. To the best of my knowledge, no one has ever accomplished this. It's an easy fund raiser for the night's charity.
And the game? Well, the Wolves never looked like they were there. Pasi Nurminen was still a scratch (I wonder what really happened to him - he was "shaken-up" in a game last Wednesday). And then coach decides to bench Norm Maracle, so Frederic Cassivi was in the net. He tried. As usual, he had no defense to back him up. We had a 6-on-4 for the last minute of the game and we couldn't tie it up. The Wolves lost 3-2. Lackluster. No intensity. Poor passing. Mistakes. The words "they suck" just keep going through my head. They look tired and the look like they're not committed to this. Right now I feel that the Wolves won't make it through this crazy Qualifying Round, and I'm not sure they will win tomorrow. It's hard to root for a team that looks like they don't care.
posted at 10:07 PM | Link | Wolves § |
Sunday, April 07, 2002
Wolves 3 - Aeros 4
Last Wolves game of the regular season. The Wolves lost 4-3 against the Houston Aeros. This is not the way to go into the playoffs. It looked like Norm Maracle didn't see any of the shots coming at him. I mean, Houston only had 17 shots! We need Pasi Nurminen back quickly (he got shook-up in a game last Wednesday). Instead - as our backup goalie, we've got a guy named Michael Garnett who was signed by the team as an Amateur Tryout! Oh, great! We now have the 7th seed in the playoffs. That means we don't get a bye in the first round of the "Western Conference Qualifier" - a best of three series against the Cincinnati Mighty Ducks on Tuesday, Wednesday (and, if necessary, Thursday). Great - a best of three series.
This was also the last day of Fan Appreciation weekend. They were still selling tons of old merchandise in the East lobby. After the loss, the team threw merchandise over the glass to the fans (which is always a cool thing). Then they had the "Shirts Off Our Backs" promotion - during the course of the season at selected games, the Wolves were wearing alternate jerseys (it's a cool black jersey, that looks similar to the Atlanta Thrashers (their Parent Club) alternate jersey). The jerseys were auctioned-off for charity (usually one or two a game). The winners came to this game and were escorted onto the ice after the game, where each Wolves player, one at a time, skated over and literally gave them their "shirts off their backs". Off course, they were a bit smelly and sweaty and may have blood on them, but hey - it's a game worn jersey! The downside to all this is the auction itself. Though it benefits charities, the average price for a jersey is $1,000. There are so many fans that cannot compete with this kind of money. Not only that, the vast majority of the bidders already have other jerseys that they have bid on and won!!!! Give us schmoes a break!
posted at 09:08 PM | Link | Wolves § |
Wolves 2 - Griffins 3
The season is winding down, and the Wolves lost to the Griffins again 3-2. This was just a case of being outplayed. Period. The Griffins were swarming, and just seemed a hell of a lot quicker. Before the game, Steve Maltais and Rob Brown were honored in a pregame ceremony to recognize that each player surpassed 1,000 professional games this season. These guys are getting old - but here's Rob Brown who's second in the entire league in points (83)!
Today and tomorrow are Fan Appreciation games. Today, they gave away a 1986 Classic Porsche 944 (there were entry forms given out at each home game). There was also Scratch-and-Win cards for everybody to get giveaway stuff (today we got a team picture and a CD from The Verve Pipe). The first 10,000 people got a pair of Thunder Stix - basically they're mylar tube balloons that you blow up and seal, and you bang them together. Let's just say they were way more annoying than you would think. Tonight was the last night of the Chicago's Department of Animal Care and Control (ACC) "Adopt-A-Pet" Program - there were 24 dogs up for adoption, and they made an announcement during the game that 16 were adopted. Before today, there have been 77 dogs adopted. Dan Snyder has a web page on the team website for the adoption program.
Oh, I got hit before the game tonight. Not with a puck, but with a tennis ball that was thrown into the crowd. (It's part of a Max & Erma's giveaway - there's Wolves Players' names on the tennis balls - if the first goal is scored by the player whose name is on your tennis ball, you get something). Well, I got hit in the collarbone. I couldn't see what was going on - Brad who sits in front of me was sitting on the back of his seat, totally blocking my view. I never saw the ball. And it hurt like hell - it caught the bone just right. Oh, well. I'm happy it wasn't a puck.
After the game tonight, we went over to the Ramada for a private WolfPack party in a suite. It was a bit too empty, and then we found out why - there was an after-game skate around, so everyone was still back at the Allstate Arena. We didn't stay too long - we were bushed, and with the change in Daylight Savings Time, we thought it'd be a good idea to get home.
posted at 12:26 AM | Link | Wolves § |
Monday, April 01, 2002
My Life-Clock starts ticking againWARNING: In case you are new to this blog, please be aware that I'm a Chicago White Sox fan. Please - no flames - I wouldn't respond like that about that "other" team - please respect my opinions and allegiance.
That being said, my life's clock has begun ticking again - Baseball has started!!! It's going to be a rocky ride this season - the Sox have only one or two guys that I trust pitching - the rest are a toss-up. We saw that today when the Sox won 6-5 over the Mariners in Seattle. The bright spots: Mark Buehrle pitching 6-innings of two-hit ball with 5 strikeouts (one solo Home Run, unfortunately). Konerko and Alomar with 2 RBI's each. Tough win. Todd Ritchie starts tomorrow. Let's see how the series progresses.
posted at 07:18 PM | Link | Baseball § |
Saturday, March 30, 2002
Lasagna and WolvesWent to Chelby & Damian's tonight for dinner and, of course, watch the Wolves game on CLTV. Good dinner - lasagna. I love Italian food. Good lasagna. Later, during the game - a root beer float. Oh, yummmmmmmmmmmm... Of course, I had lost a few pounds just before going over there. I got on the scale and realized that I gained it all back. Nuts. Oh, the Wolves lost 5-1 (they're in Utah). They looked terrible and were outplayed.
posted at 11:16 PM | Link | Friends § |
Thursday, March 28, 2002
PreseasonWatching the White Sox - Cubs preseason game on Fox Sportsnet Chicago (The Sox are winning 16-3 after 5 innings). There's a black cat running on the field. Of course, Chip Caray has to say that he feels good about it since it's on the Sox side of the field. I HATE Chip Caray. HATE him. (Update: Sox won 22-7)
posted at 03:56 PM | Link | Mundane § |
Wednesday, March 27, 2002
Wolves 4 - Wolfpack 1
The Chicago Wolves played the Hartford Wolfpack tonight. It looked dicey early when Hartford scored first on Olympian Pasi Nurminen. They looked pretty strong. But somehow, the Wolves got back into it and wound up winning 4-1! And to top it off, the clinched a playoff birth with their win tonight! Very cool, but I hold no hope that they'll win the Calder Cup this year. Rob Brown tied it up in the first, and is now tied for the league-lead in scoring with 78 points. Guy Larose had two goals tonight. It's nice to see him back from the Augusta Lynx of the ECHL. (Simon Gamache is also back from the Greenville Grrrowl of the ECHL)
In the third, there was a very scary moment. There was someone from Hartford that took a shot on goal. It was a rocket. It went wide and ricocheted high off the tall glass on the end of the rink. The puck came off the glass and somehow cleared the glass on the side of the rink and hit a guy in the second or third row squarely on the bridge of his nose. Well, everybody freaked as this poor guy is streaming in blood and pain, so the Rosemont police guys (who work the Allstate Arena security) ran (pushed) through the crowd to help. It took way the hell too long for the medical teams to get to the guy (5-10 minutes maybe). The guys was in pain and even though Rick (one of the cops that sits by us by the Penalty Box) was the first to get to him and had a towel over his face, there was still blood everywhere. Smalley and Kenny O told us there was blood everywhere in the aisle and they moved some of the fans out of the area. All that we could think of is Brittanie Cecil at the Columbia Blue Jackets game. Hockey is quick, people. Pay attention. (even though, I don't think this guy had a chance - the shot was a rocket). He walked to a wheelchair so that he could get medical attention. Everyone gave him a round of applause.
posted at 10:19 PM | Link | Wolves § |
Tuesday, March 19, 2002
Brittanie CecilYou know, if you've read this blog, that Carol & I go to hockey games regularly - we support the Chicago Wolves of the AHL. I have been hit by a puck once - took one on the chin after in bounced off some seats in front of us. It hurt, but did little damage. Now, in what is believed to be the first death of a fan hit by a puck at an NHL game, a 13-year-old girl died after being hit in the head by a puck that was a slapshot by Espen Knutsen from the left circle, shot over the high glass and glanced off another spectator at a Columbus Blue Jackets game against the Calgary Flames. I just saw the tape - she got up, and had a towel or something to her forehead. You have to watch the game and keep on your toes - you have no idea how startling it is to see a puck coming at you. This is really sad...
posted at 05:44 PM | Link | Current Events | 2 comments § |
Monday, March 18, 2002
Radiation Therapy Chauffeur™ duty
They didn't start on the Tollway construction yet. They were putting out barrels along the inside shoulder, but that's about it. Traffic was normal inbound & outbound during my daily trip to the parents and taking Dad to Radiation Therapy at Loyola. The waiting room was really crowded - overflowing out into the hall. Things just felt slower. So did Dad - he's just slowing down. I think the radiation is getting to him. Hopefully he'll tough it out.
posted at 03:05 PM | Link | Mundane § |
Sunday, March 17, 2002
Wolves 3 - Admirals (Norfolk) 4
Well, 13,116 people saw the Chicago Blackhawks farm team, the Norfolk Admirals beat the Chicago Wolves today 4-3. The Wolves had some absolutely Brilliant play in the second period, but just couldn't catch-up. Norm Maracle actually looked bad, letting at least one of the goals go by him on a simple glove save. He gave up all 4 goals on just 19 shots - Frederic Cassivi replaced him in the second. For about a minute and a half late in the third, we actually had a 6 on 3 power play!!! And came away with nothing. Clean play, though - even with our new guy from Philadelphia Francis Lessard. He had 14 minutes in penalties last night in his first game with us. He set a franchise Record for the Philadelphia Phantoms in penalty minutes back in the 1999-2000 season with 416. The next year he had 330. He already had 251 with Philadelphia this year before we got him. Sigh.
The big crowd today could have been for the Coach John Anderson Bobblehead Doll giveaway. Or it was for the end of the St. Patrick's Day Jersey Auction. I didn't see a single jersey for under $700. There was a wedding during the first intermission. Both the bride and groom skated onto the ice (separately, of course). Too bad the groom couldn't stop well, and fell into a metal arch of balloons and flowers, toppling them and him. A bit embarrassing. Wayne Messmer came up the aisle afterward (he "hosted" the event) and muttered something about "Some people have no shame..."
posted at 07:07 PM | Link | Wolves § |
Thursday, March 14, 2002
Wolves 2 - Phantoms 1
The Wolves met the Philadelphia Phantoms tonight. A very good game, and I was actually feeling good about the Wolves again. We beat Philly 2-1. The Phantoms had only 5 defensemen available for the game due to injuries and a suspension - a pretty clean game, though. It was weird seeing Jarrod Skalde playing for them (he was traded to them on March 5 for Joe DiPenta, and now Skalde is an Assistant Captain). We're not doing too bad since Atlanta called-up All Star J.P. Vigier on March 13. And Atlanta is not doing bad either - they won 2-0 against the Colorado Avalanche tonight with goals from, yep, J.P. Vigier and Brian Pothier who was recalled on March 9. I even felt good about Norm Maracle - he's been seeing the puck pretty well. Not a big crowd tonight - 4,609 - pretty typical for a weeknight.
The Wolves wore their St. Patrick's Day Jerseys which will be auctioned on Sunday (a silent auction). When the doors opened, somebody put a $1,000 bid on Derek MacKenzie's jersey. In case you haven't been to one of these things, $1,000 is about average to low for a jersey. And the whole team's jerseys are available. The proceeds from this auction go to Easter Seals.
posted at 10:04 PM | Link | Wolves § |
Sunday, March 10, 2002
Wolves 2 - Grizzlies 4
Another crappy showing from the Wolves as the Utah Grizzlies beat them 4-2. They still can't handle a puck. They were just outplayed. A fairly clean game, though. It was a Family Fun Fest day, whatever that meant. All we knew is that there was a bout a dozen 5-8 year-olds sitting next to us. Carol kept referring to them as a "Gopher town" because all she heard was the high-pitched "bee-bee-bee-bee-bee-bee" as they were all taking at once throughout the entire game. Most of the time, they weren't talking but yelling in each others faces. Weird. We think it was a birthday outing. The dad, who was in the row behind us, was just burning through is money. We heard him pay almost $25 for 7 lemonades, and he had done that twice, not to mention cotton candy for everyone and then snow cones, and it looked like he bought pucks for all the kids later. Look, the Wolves are cheap entertainment, but concessions sure aren't.
posted at 07:09 PM | Link | Wolves § |
Saturday, March 09, 2002
Paralympics
Olympic Update...
Huh??? Yep, I totally forgot about these games! I'm watching the Opening Ceremonies are on NBC right now. The rest of the games are going to be on A&E at 6pm EST each night this week.
posted at 01:15 PM | Link | Olympics § |
Tuesday, March 05, 2002
Radiation Therapy Chauffeur™ dutyThe last two days have been interesting driving on the tollway & expressway - there have been a lot of trucks that have been sitting outside collecting snow over the weekend. Now, as they barrel down the road at a high rate of speed, the compacted snow is shooting off the tops of the trucks in sheets, causing havoc for anyone following behind. You don't want to be behind these things. I saw another truck that didn't have compacted snow, just light snow on top. It left a blizzard behind it - you couldn't see the traffic in the middle of this snow-cloud.
On the way to pick-up my parents, I saw a huge fire over in Harwood Heights. I think I heard later on the radio that it was some kind of auto body place. It was kind of startling to see - being on the Kennedy expressway, you're sort of in a wide ditch - below ground level, so you don't see what's going on in the neighborhoods around you. Then, when I got off at Nagle, you could see the black smoke in the sky, not very far ahead. It must not have been burning very long.
Ah... baseball on the radio... Sox playing the Cubs... gotta love it... and the Sox won 20-6! And it was a split squad game for the Sox! Update: Of course, bragging too soon, the Sox split-squad lose against Arizona 16-5 tonight...
Hey, did you know that an ostrich's eye is heavier than it's brain? See, the daytime version of the Weakest Link is educational!
Got an invoice from the Chicago Wolves for Calder Cup playoff tickets. Like they're gonna win the cup this year... We reluctantly spend money that we don't have and send in our ticket request (including a 25% deposit for next season's tickets).
posted at 03:16 PM | Link | Family § |
Saturday, March 02, 2002
Wolves 3 - Americans 3
Well, we set off to the hockey game in the snow. The traffic was pretty light - not many people wanted to be out on the street. The traffic moved well, and we were there in no time. I was surprised at how many cars were in the lost an hour before the game. The Wolves played the Rochester Americans for the first time at the Allstate Arena. The referee (Dan O'Rourke) called everything, even Delay of Game. Lots of Misconducts, too. He wanted to be in control of the game, and for the most part he was. He was consistent at least - all you can ask for. The Americans have a guy (Andrew Peters) with over 300 Penalty Minutes. Well, they lit-up our goalie Frederic Cassivi (3 goals on 6 shots) so Coach Anderson replaced him with Norm Maracle, who stopped the rest of the shots. The game ended in a 3-3 tie after overtime. The official stats say the attendance was 13,119 - I find that a bit hard to believe because of the weather, though there really was a good crowd. In a nice gesture, the Wolves are allowing fans the opportunity to redeem last night's used or unused game ticket for admission to any other regular-season game, Sunday through Friday, for the remainder of the season. Aren't minor league franchises great? The ride home wasn't too bad, though the neighborhood wasn't too clean. Now, the temperatures are supposed to drop to zero tomorrow night...
posted at 10:41 PM | Link | Wolves § |
Sunday, February 24, 2002
SLC Day 17
Olympic Update...
IT'S OVER... the closing ceremonies just wrapped, and I'm still feeling melancholy about it. I know I don't participate, but I'm just sad to see it end. Again I found myself yelling at the TV to get the NBC commentators to STFU! I want to watch and listen to the ceremonies. (I think we lost the whole concept of the dinosaurs because of the talking and commercials.) I'm also still trying to figure out who the hell invited Christina Aguilera to sing at the ceremonies... Seeing fireworks all over the Wasatch valley was pretty cool, and I hope that all the neon paint that they sprayed all over the ice at the arena isn't permanent - I wouldn't want to wear a leather coat (like Team USA) only to get paint all over it!
Last medal update - nothing in Women's 30 km Cross Country. Canada just outplayed USA in Hockey, beating us 5-2. They get the Gold, we get the Silver. Could have been because the ice guys at the E Center were Canadian and before the Olympics they burried a Cannadian coin at center ice. I don't know, maybe we should protest...
Total Medals for the US 34!!!. (Germany was in 1st with 35). Very cool.
One of these years I gotta make it to an Olympics...
posted at 10:14 PM | Link | Olympics § |
Saturday, February 23, 2002
SLC Day 16
Olympic Update...
The 46-year drought of no medals in bobsledding is over for the US after taking both Silver and Bronze in Four Man Bobsled! Russia won the Bronze medal in Ice Hockey after beating Belarus 7-2. Of course, Russia complained yesterday about the refereeing in yesterday's game against the US and now the International Ice Hockey Federation is pissed-off about the comments that were made by the Russians. Great... let's keep stirring that pot...
Hmmm... somewhere, there's a South Korean feeling like justice was served (though a bt late)... Apolo Anton Ohno was disqualified for a collision with Japanese skater Satoru Terao on the next-to-last turn in a preliminary heat in the Men's Short Track 500m Speed Skating. Ohno had another chance for a medal in the Men's Short Track 5000m Relay, but Rusty Smith clipped a lane marker and fell with 26 laps to go and Team USA finished 4th. We didn't qualify in Ladies 1000m Short Track Speed Skating. Nothing in Ladies 5000m Speed Skating. And if it's Cross-Country skiing, you know that we didn't win anything in Men's 50 km Cross-Country Skiing. Nothing in Men's Slalom (Bode Miller fell twice and finished 25th).
posted at 11:13 PM | Link | Olympics § |
Wolves 3 - Grizzlies 0posted at 10:07 PM | Link | Wolves § |
Conference and Learning Center at Comiskey Parkposted at 01:17 PM | Link | White Sox § |
Friday, February 22, 2002
SLC Day 15
Olympic Update...
OK, first off, the Russians are still pissed and think the games are pretty nearly corrupt with judging problems. They were still threatening on leaving the games when President Putin finally had to say no, we are not leaving. Makes me think that emotions are a bit high in Salt Lake. Russia has always been a powerhouse in the Olympics, and maybe the 14 medals (5 Gold) isn't a good showing, and gee, their athletes' performances couldn't be the problem - oh, no... it must be a conspiracy against them... so let's file a protest against the judging in Women's Figure Skating... Viktor Mamotov, the head of the Russian delegation in Salt Lake City, said, "We filed the protest last night because we think the judging was biased. Canadian pairs skaters were awarded their gold medals. Now that subjective judging harmed us, we want the same for Slutskaya." As Jay Leno would say - "Shaaddduuupppp!". The ISU denied the protest.
USA Men's Hockey beat (barely) Russia 3-2 to advance to the Gold Medal round. USA was leading 3-0 after 2 periods when Russia scored just 11 seconds into the 3rd and then again just 3:10 later. USA looked absolutely stunned, like they didn't know who was on the ice - like it was a totally different team they were playing against. They looked bad, like they were struggling. They looked so good during the first two periods. Man, I wonder if this is going to piss off the Russians some more... All of this on the 22nd Anniversary (to the day) of Team USA beating Russia in Lake Placid in the "Miracle on Ice"...
Things are looking pretty good for the USA in Four Man Bobsled (sorry, I just can't get myself to say bobsleigh) after two runs - they're in First with two more runs tomorrow.
The rest, well, not so good. Nothing in Ladies Giant Slalom. Nothing in the Men's Nordic Combined Sprint 7.5km. Nothing in Men's 10,000m Speed Skating, though I did see somebody (forgot who) who forgot where they were and just changed lanes because he thought he forgot to do it, then realized that, no, he wasn't supposed to be in the lane with the other guy so he changed back. Weird. Jochem Uytdehaage of the Netherlands set a Olympic and World record with 12:58.92 - the first skater to break the 13-minute "barrier". And Canada lost to Norway 6-5 in an upset in the finals for Men's Curling.
This evening was a non-medal event - the Skating Exhibition with all of the winners. Nice to see everybody just skating for the hell of it without the pressure of competing.
When watching this, you realize that the Olympics are finally winding down.
posted at 10:31 PM | Link | Olympics § |
Thursday, February 21, 2002
SLC Day 14
Olympic Update...
Still mourning the fact that Skeleton was only one day. It just looks so cool... same for Jimmy Shea's helmet...
Crazy news day, though. The Russians are threatening to pull out of the Olympics and possibly the 2004 Athens Summer due to judging improprieties (the Pairs Figure Skating debacle) as well as in protest over Cross Country Skier Larissa Lazutina being disqualified for having high levels of performance-boosting hemoglobin. The team leader said “This is a scandal. They are specifically hunting out Russian sportsmen”. Right after the Russian Press Conference, South Korea announced it is threatening pulling out of the Olympics and possibly the 2004 Athens Summer Games because of the DQ to their skater Kim Dong-Sung last night in favor of "the crowd favorite" Apolo Ohno. They are threatening to sue the Australian judge in US court and have hired a Salt lake City law firm. (It's the same Australian judge from Ohno's other race that he won Silver after the big wipe-out and the Australian skater breezes to Gold.) Jeez.
The big deal of the Night - Ladies Free Skating. Oh, man. Sarah Hughes skated her ass off tonight! I thought she was great! Fell into first place with her skate! Sasha Cohen - well, not so good - she fell. Then Michelle Kwan - wow, she fell, too, but never gave up. I'm looking at the board - it's Hughes-Kwan-Cohen on the board when Russia's Irina Slutskaya comes out to skate. Wasn't clean, but no falls and maybe not as technically difficult as the others. Oh, man. This is actually suspenseful! Her marks go up - they look high. Then when the Ordinals come up they cut to the locker room to see a screaming Sarah Hughes and her coach! So the final is Hughes/Gold-Slutskaya/Silver-Kwan/Bronze! Cohen finished fourth. Boy, I wonder if this is going to piss-off the Russians some more. Slutskaya looks pissed. Michaelle looks like she wants to cry. Bad. Or maybe hide somewhere. Sarah just looked so damn happy in the medal ceremony! Slutskaya didn't look as pissed on the stand - she actually looked happy.
Bode Miller won his second Silver Medal, this time in Men's Giant Slalom (he was 7th after his first run). He's the first USA man to medal in Giant Slalom.
We finished 13th (LAST) in Women's Cross-Country 4x5 km Relay. The Women's Curling team lost to Canada 9-5 in the Bronze Medal Game. No medal. Bummer - I was hoping that USA would get something in Curling. Great Britain won in an upset. The Women's Hockey team Lost to Canada 3-2 in the Gold Medal Game, breaking a 35-game winning streak. (Sweden beat Finland 2-1 in the Bronze Medal Game.) I thought Team USA looked pressured during the game. Things were looking a little chippy and they were just all over the ice - I'm not sure how much under control they were.
posted at 10:45 PM | Link | Olympics § |
Radiation Therapy Chauffeur™ dutyWell, I can see that this will start getting old very fast. Took Dad for his first radiation treatment. Just another 30-some to go. I asked Dr. Emami something we've never talked about - how far "down" does Dad's tumor go? He showed me a diagram that he produced for the radiology computer showing the radiation areas. It shows the tumor in his throat which looks pretty substantial, and must be about 3cm tall. The thing that got me was that there are 2 tumors down in the lungs that are being radiated as well. I didn't expect it. Well, yes I did - after I saw how dad was drawn on with blue markers by Jack and Leela yesterday. I wasn't ready for this. I'm just stunned. I don't know what I should read into this. So maybe this time I'm spending with Dad driving him back and forth isn't so bad after all.
The world has turned upside down this afternoon. First I hear that kidnapped Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearlis dead - at least he looks that way on a videotape that the US has. And I'm sorry, but I don't trust the Pakistani police to find everybody involved. I saw a show on DirecTV the other day, I think it was on the WorldLink channel, called "Karachi Kops". Let's just say it wasn't as good as Fox's "Cops" and it sure was suspiciously edited. I don't trust these guys.
Then I hear that the US Olympic Committee has turned over all of fthe evidence they have to the FBI on death threats against Apolo Anton Ohno. It started after his first race, and after the disqualification of Kim Dong-Sung last night, the death threats apparently really escalated. Jeez. Oh, and there's increased security around the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia because of a possible attack. It's not over - a US Army CH-47 Chinook helicopter crashed in about 120 miles northeast of Mindanao in the Philippines with 12 aboard. This is all part of the war against terrorism - this time it's Abu Sayyaf, an offshoot of al Qaeda. What the hell is going on today?!?!?
posted at 04:45 PM | Link | Family § |
Wednesday, February 20, 2002
SLC Day 13
Olympic Update...
SKELETON - gotta be my most favorite Olympic sport! Going headfirst at 80 mph down a bobsled track! Yes! That's my kind of sport! Now, it hasn't been in the Olympics since 1948, but this is primed for those X-Games types. In Men's Skeleton Jim Shea won Gold!. Very touching - he had his Grandfather's picture in his helmet (His grandfather was a Gold Medal Speed Skater and his dad was also in the Olympics, making this the first time in Olympic history where 3 generations in one family were Olympians). In Women's Skeleton Tristan Gale won Gold and Lea Ann Parsley won Silver! Great day for the sport and a great day for Sledding Medals for USA.. Too bad that's it for Skeleton - I want to see more!
In Ladies 1500m Speed Skating Jennifer Rodriquez won Bronze, and Chris Witty came in fourth. In the Men's 1500m Short Track Speed Skating, well, Apolo Anton Ohno won Gold - only after Kim Dong-Sung of South Korea - who crossed the line first - was disqualified for something called "crosstracking" and interfering with Ohno. Great - another skating controversy. In Men's Hockey Play-offs Quarterfinals, USA shutout Germany 5-0. The real upset in Hockey today was unbeaten Sweden being beaten by Belarus 4-3.
Today's downsides - nothing in Ladies Short Track 3000m Relay Finals, nothing in Ladies Slalom, nothing in Men's 4x7.5 km Biathlon Relay (but Ole Einar Bjoerndalen of Noway won his 4th Gold Medal of the games) . In Women's Curling Semifinal USA loses to Switzerland 9-4. Nuts. But I think we might still be in a Bronze medal hunt.
posted at 10:31 PM | Link | Olympics § |
Tuesday, February 19, 2002
SLC Day 12
Olympic Update...
Wow, not many negatives today, and a whole lot of cool things... On the negative side, we didn't even qualify for Men's Cross-Country Sprint or Women's Cross-Country Sprint. No action today for the Women's Curling team, who will play in a semifinal tomorrow against Switzerland. In Men's Freestyle Skiing Aerials Joe Pack got Silver. In Women's Ice Hockey Play-offs Semifinals, USA shutout Sweden 4-0. The Swedish goaltender Kim Martin is only 15 years old! (She turns 16 on Feb 28.) In Men's 1500m Speed Skating Derek Parra wins Gold (over Jochem Uytdehaage, who beat Derek at 5000m on Feb 9) and sets a new World and Olympic Record of 1:43.95! Now, Women's Bobsled (or Bobsleigh) was way cool tonight. First off, it's the first ever Women's Bobsled in the Olympics. Then you have a lot of "soap opera" going on with the USA team, specifically with Sled 1 (one of the NBC commentators said it's like a sausage - you know you like it, but you just don't want to know how it all came together!) Well, Sled 1 of Jean Racine and Gea Johnson (who had a bad hamstring) finished 5th. But, Sled 2 with Jill Bakken and Vonetta Flowers won Gold!!! That's the first Gold ever in Women's Bobsled, the first Bobsled gold (men or women) for USA since 1948, and Vonetta Flowers became the first African American ever to win a Gold Medal. How cool is that?!?!? Then to end the night, in Ladies Figure Skating Short Program, Michelle Kwan is in first, Sasha Cohen is in third, and Sarah Hughes is in fourth. All-in-all, not a bad day for USA.
posted at 10:16 PM | Link | Olympics § |
Monday, February 18, 2002
SLC Day 11
Time for an Olympic update... (I'm still trying to figure out how I started this and why I'm keeping it up... )
OK, well, let's see the not so good news... Team K120 Ski Jumping - 11th place. Women's Aerials Freestyle Skiing - 14th & 17th. Women's 4x7.5 km Relay Biathlon - 15th (LAST). The Men lost in curling against Great Britain 7-6 and are now in a three-way tie for 7th. Ice Dancing - 11th (Gee... the French took Gold... who would have thought...)
On the plus-side, the Women's curling team whipped Norway 11-2, who conceded after 7 ends. The women are now in Third Place going into the medal rounds. Men's Hockey beat Belarus 8-1 and advance to their medal rounds.
posted at 09:51 PM | Link | Olympics § |
Sunday, February 17, 2002
SLC Day 10
Just watched Jamie Sale and David Pelletier get their gold medals for Pairs Figure Skating tonight after Ice Dancing Original Dance Program (yech). I thought it was really cool that they walked out with Russia's Elena Berezhnaya and Anton Sikharulidze. And I actually heard Anton say that this was "a good decision".
No medals in Ladies' Super-G, Two-Man Bobsleigh (when did it go from Bobsled to Bobsleigh?), Men's 4x10 km Relay Cross-Country Skiing, or Men's Nordic Combined Team 4x5 km Relay. Now in Women's Curling, USA beat Great Britain 6-5, and are now tied for Third. The men just lost to Finland 6-4, and are still tied for 7th.
In Ladies 1000m Speed Skating, Chris Witty set a new World Record (1:13.83) and won Gold and Jennifer Rodriguez won Bronze.
posted at 10:32 PM | Link | Olympics § |
Updates from yesterday
Ouch! The crash in the last turn of the Men 1000 m Short Track Speed Skating Finals last night was pretty cool (if you can call it that). It was won by the only guy still standing - Australian Steven Bradbury. Apolo Anton Ohno had the presence of mind to slide over the line to get a silver. Joey Cheek got a Bronze in the 1000m Long Track Speed Skating - Kip Carpenter came in 4th, Nick Pearson came in 6th, and Casey FitzRandolph came in 7th (that seems like a lot of people - there were 44 people participating - popular event?)
HEY! The Men's Hockey Team didn't win! OK, it was a tie with Russia - 2-2. If it wasn't for Brett Hull scoring with 4:30 left in the third, it would have been very disappointing. Russia outshot us 35-25. Didn't think it was going to turn into a tie.
posted at 08:28 AM | Link | Olympics § |
Saturday, February 16, 2002
Wolves on TV
Carol & I went over to Chelby & Damian's tonight for dinner and to watch the Chicago Wolves on CLTV. The Wolves lost to the Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins 2-1, with all of the goals coming in the first period. Boy, this one was nasty. We were at the game when the Penguins came to town last month. It was ugly then and it was ugly tonight.
So, in-between periods or when there were breaks, we kept flipping over to Olympic hockey to watch Chicago Wolves goaltender Pasi Nurminen in net for Finland in the game against Belarus. Finland won 8-1. Not a lot of shots on goal - Nurminen stopped 20 of 21. The one goal was on a Belarus power play.
Why does it seem that I've been leaving friend's houses when the Short Track Speed Skating has been on this week? I wanted to see this, especially tonight when I heard the there was a four-person pile-up in the last lap in the Men 1000 m Finals. I'm watching curling now (The Men lost to Denmark 9-7 in an extra end (they're in 7th place now), and the women won against Russia 11-4 and won against Germany 7-6 and are now tied for 4th), and I don't think I can stay up and watch the Men's Hockey tonight...
posted at 10:48 PM | Link | Olympics § |
SLC Day 9
Daron Rahlves finished 8th and Thomas Vonn finished 9th in Men's Super-G. Jay Hakkinen finished 13th in Men's 12.5 km Pursuit Biathlon. USA beat Russia 11-4 in Women's Round Robin Session 8 of Curling. Team USA, consisting of Todd Lodwick, Matt Dayton, Johnny Spillane, and Bill Demong, finished third in the Team K90 of Nordic Combined. Team USA shutout Finland 5-0 in Women's Ice Hockey! Goalie Sara DeCosta now has two shutouts in a row.
posted at 02:05 PM | Link | Olympics § |
Friday, February 15, 2002
Team USA Hockey
The NHL players are finally in Salt Lake and watching hockey has turned even more interesting - probably because USA shutout Finland 6-0!
posted at 11:46 PM | Link | Olympics § |
SLC Day 8
Silver (Mark Grimmette & Brian Martin) & Bronze (Chris Thorpe & Clay Ives) in Luge Doubles!
No medal in Women's Parallel Giant Slalom Snowboarding, but Chris Klug got a Bronze in Men's Parallel Giant Slalom Snowbaording. And Klug actually had a liver transplant about 19 months ago!!! That's just nuts for any athlete, to be able to survive and handle an severe illness and transplant surgery, but excel at your sport and then get a medal at the Olympics?!?!? (OK, I'm stretching my beliefs on Snowboarding being an Olympic sport here.)
Men's Curling whipped France 8-3 earlier today.
posted at 02:46 PM | Link | Olympics § |
OLYMPIC NEWS CONFERENCE
Kevan Gosper IOC VP introduced everybody and moderated the news conference. Ottavio Cinquanta ISU President - they had information and evidence to have a meeting after skating last night. They debated the situation, and produced one decision, one deliberation. The decision - suspended the French figure skating judge Marie-Reine Le Gougne immediately because of enough evidence that was responsible of misconduct. The deliberation - basically, what to do - to have the result of the pairs of Canada and Russia made "equal". The deliberation information was turned over to the IOC. Jacques Rogge IOC President - there was an Executive Committee meeting this morning, and a Gold medal will be given to Canadians Jamie Sale and David Pelletier. In general, they just had very short announcements, and went quickly to a Q & A session. Of course, the majority of the questions were related to either about if there was going to be additional investigations (and apparently there will be) and if the IOC & ISU think the games, the sport, oh, just about everything is going to be or is damaged because of this.
The medals are supposed to be presented after the last figure skating event, which should be the Ladies Free Skate on February 21.
posted at 12:10 PM | Link | Olympics § |
Court of Arbitration for Sport
The IOC and ISU is having a news conference in the next few minutes - this is a big deal for the Olympics. The Canadians asked the Court of Arbitration for Sport to require the nine judges who scored the competition to testify before an arbitration committee. My guess is that the IOC & ISU didn't exactly like being pressured like that. There's rumors flying around that the French judge has left Salt Lake City.
posted at 11:52 AM | Link | Olympics § |
Thursday, February 14, 2002
SLC Day 7
USA Women's Hockey!!! Whooo hooo!!!! They go on to the medal round (with Canada, Sweden, & Finland) after a 12-1 whipping of China! "Veteran" Cammi Granato (from Maywood, IL) had a hat trick. China had only 10 shots on goal (USA had 71!)
I feel like I dropped into "commentator mode" for Olympic results...
Nothing for USA Ladies Speed Skating 500m. Chris Witty finished 14th.
Men's Curling - Well, it was a win over Switzerland 6-2, but we're 2-3 in 7th place. Doesn't look good for the men. The women lost to Denmark 9-4, and had a 2-2 record tied for 5th going into tonight's match with Switzerland, and it's not looking good there either. Looking at the "athletes" that participate in this game make me think that this is the "bowling" of the Winter Games - the people just look like bowlers.
USA best was 15th (Kris Freeman) in Men's Cross-Country Skiing 10 km Free Pursuit.
USA best in Ladies' Combined Downhill was 6th (Lindsey Kildow)
Hmmm. one USA (Chris Klug - 11th) made it out of the qualifying round in Men's Snowboarding PGS (that's parallel giant slalom to us uninitiated).
Well, it's evening so that must mean figure skating...Men's Figure Skating Free Skate is tonight... there was a few times I thought I was watching a Saturday Night Live sketch with the way the guys were falling. Russian Evgeni Plushenko almost landed the first quad-triple-triple in history. While watching him do a combination, Scott Hamilton called him "sick and twisted" in jest! He wound up in 1st. Well, I thought Timothy Goebel (from Evanston, IL) looked great to my untrained eye - there was a problem with a triple-axel, but he hit a quad late in his program. I thought he was a little better than the marks he got. Put him into 2nd with two skaters to go - Alexander Abt from Russia - who actually fell, and stepped out of a few things and whose marks were all over the place putting him in 4th, and finally another Russian Alexei Yagudin finishes up the program. And finishes without any "fire", but the program was good. The wait for Goebel has got to be a killer. I mean, he eventually knows he's going to get a medal - that's got a be a relief of sorts, but not knowing what kind of medal has to be a bit hairy. Must be my imagination, but there seemed to be a delay getting the marks up. He get's 4 6.0's for Presentation, the most for a man in the Olympics. So he get's the Gold, Plushenko gets Silver, and our Timothy Goebel gets a bronze!
posted at 10:56 PM | Link | Olympics § |
AHL All Star Game
ESPN2 had the AHL All Star Game from the Mile One Stadium in St. John's, Newfoundland. We (the Chicago Wolves) had only one player elected to participate - J.P. Vigier. I hated the commentators, who seemed to mispronounce any of the players from the old IHL teams. Vigier is supposed to be pronounced "vee ZHAY" instead of "vee GAYR" as the commentators said. And I thought that Bubba Berenzweig from the Milwaukee Admirals (and native of Arlington Heights) last name was pronounced "BAIR ens weyg" (long "i") instead of "BAIR ens wig" (short "i").
Anyway, it was Canada against Planet USA - the delineation is that the Canadian team has members who where born in Canada, while Planet USA has players born anywhere else. It was a shootout, with Canada winning 13-10. Canada had 5 unanswered goals in the second half of the third, until USA scored their final goal with .2 seconds left. Canadian Mike Craig of the Cleveland Barons was MVP with a hat trick.
posted at 08:56 PM | Link | Hockey § |
Luge Fantasy CampThe Today Show just did a piece on a Luge Fantasy Camp! Now that looks great! They started the teaching process slowly, understanding the start, then the actually went out to the track and started half-way down, and eventually working their way up the hill. One of the students wiped-out and had a mild concussion! This looks like a great time!
posted at 08:38 AM | Link | Mundane § |
Wednesday, February 13, 2002
Zamboni Fantasy CampThe Today Show just did a piece on Zamboni Fantasy Camp - a 2-day camp Utah Olympic Oval in SLC where they're setting records in Speed Skating! How cool would that be?!?!? At 4,675 feet in altitude, there's less room between water molecules, making the ice denser & "slicker".
posted at 08:43 AM | Link | Mundane § |
Tuesday, February 12, 2002
SLC Day 5
I'm turning into a curmudgeon. I just can't seem to tolerate these X-Game-type "sports" in the Olympics. At least they put it into its own category - "Freestyle Skiing". They're showing today's Men's Moguls on TV now. Yes, I see how hard it is to do these things (I mean, Johnny Moseley was just fantastic), but they're just not Olympic sports, you know what I mean? (Travis Mayer got a Silver, though, and Moseley got knocked to 4th.) Between this junk and the Figure Skating Judging fiasco last night, my "curmudgeonness" is just getting tweaked-up a notch... and now the conspiracy theorists are coming out of the woodwork, saying that there was "collaboration" between the French and Russian judges. Canada has requested an investigation (or an ISU "internal assessment")
Looks like Picabo Street has made it into retirement successfully. She finished 16th in Women's Downhill, just 1.61 seconds behind the leader and behind 11th place Jonna Mendes and 12th place Kirsten Clark. A very nice career. Too bad we didn't have a good showing for your sendoff.
USA Women's Hockey team kicked butt in a 10-0 whipping of Germany.
Hey! More speed skating medals in the Men's 500m! Casey FitzRandolph got a Gold (with his 34.42 Olympic Record run yesterday) and Kip Carpenter got a Bronze.
Poor Todd Eldredge. He's 30 years old and he was all over the ice - and not in a good way. As I'm writing this, he's in 9th, behind Michael Weiss, who's in 8th, and Timothy Goebel who's still in 3rd. Another "old guy" is Elvis Stojko from Canada - he's 7th. Leading is Alexei Yagudin from (gee) Russia.
Whooo hoooo! Another Curling Win! This Time it's the USA Women over Sweden 6-5. We're in second place after two games (we're 2-0!) The men are tied for forth (1-1 after two games)
posted at 08:30 PM | Link | Olympics § |
Monday, February 11, 2002
Wrong Call
Wrong!!! Wrong!!! Wrong!!! WRONG!!! This is why I hate judged sports! What kind of crap is this in Pairs Figure Skating?!?!? Those damn Canadians (Jamie Sale and David Pelletier) skated their asses off, even after colliding hard with the damn Russians (Elena Berezhnaya and Anton Sikharulidze) during the warm-ups! Screw those damn judges! Just because ONE judge doesn't give them a First Place ordinal??? And the NBC commentators talk about "being embarrassed for the sport". This is just damned wrong. And earlier we SWEEP the medals in that crappy X-Games Men's Snowboarding Halfpipe. Gee, whaddya know? It's a damned judged event! NO WONDER I don't like this! So whoopdeedoo. I REALLY felt for the Canadians. I can't get over this. They DESERVED it. Now the damn Russians retain their "dynasty".
posted at 11:23 PM | Link | Olympics § |
SLC Day 4
You know, even though I love downhill, Biathlon is pretty cool, too. You really have to be in great shape to ski at altitude, then do it for 20km, and oh, yeah, carry a rifle to stop and shoot - calmly at targets the size of quarters at 50 meters! And the event I'm watching now, 20 km Individual Men Biathlon has 87 people entered!
Watched a piece of the Women's Preliminary Ice Hockey, with Canada and Kazakhstan. Canada won 7-0 (I mean, Kazakhstan? Are they a threat?) Canada out-shot them 66-11, 5 of the goals were on power plays. That means that the Kazakhstan goalie stopped 59 shots! I find it interesting that the women wear full-face cages on the helmets to protect their faces, and of course, the guys don't.
No coverage on Curling today. Bummer. Such an odd sport, I feel that I need to watch. Right now the US is tied with Canada, Finland & Germany for first. Whoa! It's going to be on MSNBC in a few minutes! Cool! (US v Sweden) and CNBC has US v Canada tonight! OK, this is looking better...
And somebody better be covering Men's Singles Luge! We missed a medal, but I want to see that. (50 entries in that event with one Did Not Finish and one Did Not Start (gotta wonder about that one...)). Instead , they'll probably air that crappy X-Game Snowboarding "sport" (and I use that term loosely). Guess they're showing Luge in-between sessions at Pairs Figure Skating. OK, gotta watch that, too...
We got 500m Speed Skating, and whooo hooo! We're in First and Third Place after the first race. No new world record yet. That's also being broadcast tonight.
posted at 04:06 PM | Link | Olympics § |
Sunday, February 10, 2002
Downhill
Ahhh... my most favorite Winter Olympic sport is on... ooops... second most favorite - Downhill. No prissy snowboarding X-Games crap. Downhill. Speed. Danger. That's a sport...
posted at 08:43 PM | Link | Olympics § |
Wolves 5 - Griffins 2
Time for still another Wolves-Griffins game - the 11th time they met this season. But now, it's like the Wolves are making their move up, while the Griffins are tumbling. The Wolves beat the Griffins 5-2. Got a chance to finally see the new goalie - Frederic Cassivi. Very impressive moves. He's won every game he's started. I wonder how long we'll have him... I wonder if he'll get called-up once Pasi Nurminen comes back from the Olympics...
posted at 07:06 PM | Link | Wolves § |
Saturday, February 09, 2002
SLC Day 2 - Part III
OK, the US is tied with Austria with two medals, leading all countries after Day 1. I'm still getting the feel of the NBC coverage. I'm really pissed at the way they handled coverage of the first Medal Ceremonies tonight. In short - Bob Costas didn't know what was going on and since they had more Nordic Combined Ski Jumping today (was cancelled yesterday because of the weather), they went to that instead. Wouldn't a Field Producer have a clue on what was happening? At least show the first Medal Ceremony - the entire ceremony - so that we've got and idea of what's going on, then show just the individual ceremonies on the other nights. They showed Dave Mathews performing later tonight from the same damn stage without cutting away during a song. Just pissed me off. And what's with Chinese figure skaters? How can an entire team exceed in throws and at the same time nobody knows how to spin? If it was just one group, you would overlook it. But three separate pairs? Nice coaching!
posted at 11:39 PM | Link | Olympics § |
SLC Day 2 - Part II
Somebody needs to test the water that they make the ice from at the Utah Olympic Oval for Men's 5000m Speed Skating. Wow. 6:17.98, a new World and Olympic record in one of the heats (Derek Parra of the US), only to see his record go up in smoke minutes later as he's beat by Jochem Uytdehaage of the Netherlands with a 6:14.66!
posted at 04:03 PM | Link | Olympics § |
SLC Day 2 - Part I
I guess the Olympics have officially started - Stefania Belmondo of Italy claimed the first gold of the games, winning the women's 15 km cross-country skiing event. Let's see how the rest of the events play out.
posted at 11:40 AM | Link | Olympics § |
Friday, February 08, 2002
SLC Day 1 - Opening Ceremonies
Opening Ceremonies are over, the games have been declared open. Great to see/hear Jim McKay at the Olympics. I don't ever remember a commentator being "loaned" from one network to another to act as a correspondent. Unfortunately, Jim didn't fit in really well. I think that his time has unfortunately passed. VERY emotional watching the WTC flag being brought into the Rice-Eccles Olympic Stadium. Dead silence - a reverence that I didn't expect. And then the National Anthem by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir started off quietly, hauntingly, adding to the moment, eventually building to a great crescendo. A very good tribute to September 11 (it couldn't be ignored) without taking away from the Olympic spirit of the games. I thought the entertainment was good. Loved the Native American pieces. How cool is it to have George the 43rd declare the games open from the middle of the US athletes instead of some podium or private box?! (Even cooler is later watching figure skater Sasha Cohen handing the president her cell phone for him to say a few words to her friends or family!) Having Mike Eruzione and the rest of the 1980 gold medal-winning U.S. hockey team do the lighting of the cauldron was a good choice (I think). Is the cauldron water-cooled? I thought I saw water pouring down the insides of the glass. U-S-A! U-S-A! U-S-A!...
UPDATE: Yep, that's water in the Olympic cauldron - the cauldron was made by WET DESIGNS, the guys that made the fountains in front of Bellagio in Las Vegas! The Washington Post had what I thought was an even-handed review of the Opening Ceremony coverage.
posted at 11:51 PM | Link | Olympics § |
Anticipation
Just three hours away from the 2002 Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony. Actually, I can't wait. I've spent time in and around Salt Lake City, and I really wanted to go to this Olympics, but it just wasn't meant to be. I love all of the pomp and circumstance surrounding the ceremonies. And an actual benefit of unemployment? Being able to watch the MSNBC/CNBC live coverage during the day! OK, it's a little lame, but I have to put some kind of positive spin on the situation! I mean, I'm not a graphic designer/web designer getting a great job after such a long "vacation" (read: unemployment).
posted at 03:56 PM | Link | Olympics § |
Sunday, February 03, 2002
Super Bowl XXXVI
All I can say is WOW, WHAT A FINISH!!! It looked like a pretty crappy game until the end of the 4th quarter. St. Louis looked bad. Maybe the Patriots had it right when they elected to be introduced as a team instead of individually like everybody else usually does. They were pumped. They deserved the win (although, I don't believe they deserved to be at the SuperBowl to begin with, since that blown call in the snow game against Oakland).
Halftime was OK, not great (Sorry you U2 fans). The pregame entertainment was fair (screw this crappy lipsyncing bit! Record it for backup only! Let the performers perform!) And I'm sorry but I just don't get Mariah Carey.
Commercials were great but I felt that overall, the crop was weaker this year. And I really don't give a damn about my mlife! I'll have to check USA Today tomorrow to see how things rank. My fave - the Bud Light Falcon!
posted at 10:01 PM | Link | Sports § |
Wolves 2 - Griffins 1
Went to the Wolves game today. It was originally scheduled for 4 o'clock, but they finally moved it to 1 o'clock to get it away from the Super Bowl. When we got there, before the skate around, they were playing the Bears Super Bowl Shuffle video on the scoreboard. We got a new goalie, Frederic Cassivi from the Colorado Avalanche. He won the last two games that he started, but he wasn't the first one onto the ice for the warmups (first goalie out is always the starter - today it was Pasi Nurminen).
Well, it was the 10th time these guys have met. Good, fast, clean game. The Wolves beat the
Griffins 2-1. The go ahead goal was shot by Rob Brown off of Steve Maltais' nose! Maltais got the credit!
Throughout the game, I had a drunk that sat right behind me. And when I say drunk, I mean drunk. He spilled beer in the back of my seat (though not too bad.) He spilled a fresh beer on his seat, so he had to sit in the row behind - he slept through the entire second period - even with fireworks going off after we scored two goals!. Then, when he was sitting behind me during the third, he fell asleep again, tipping his fresh beer and pouring it - slowly - into the aisle. The guys with him just said this was "normal" and it occurred "365 days a year". Great.
Our bud Scott who sits in from of us was in a 2nd intermission promotion on the ice. The object - stand at one end of the ice and throw a football into the net at the other end of the ice. There were 3 other people along with Scott trying this. They went through the group - no one got it, though Scott actually came close (the second guy had a GREAT arm). So since no one got it, they tried again. NOBODY GOT IT, so no prizes were awarded!
After the game, Pasi Nurminen was sent up to the Atlanta Thrashers and then off to Salt Lake City as Finland's Olympic Goalie.
posted at 04:48 PM | Link | Wolves § |
Friday, February 01, 2002
SoxFest 2002
Well, we left home almost two hours before SoxFest was supposed to begin. We barely got there in time, due to the traffic. We were meeting our friends and season ticket holders Jeff & Doreen, and Janie & Gary at 5pm, when the doors opened. Well, when we got there, we had to go to a different floor because the line was so long. We knew that there was a security bag check before ewe went in, but had no idea what we were in for. We met everyone else while we were standing in line. The line started to move around 5:40pm! We went straight to the first (and only) scheduled seminar - a discussion session with General Manager Kenny Williams and Manager Jerry Manual, hosted by radio broadcaster Ed Farmer. The first thing we hear is something that literally just happened probably minutes before - we get Kenny Lofton as our new Center Fielder!!! Got him as a free agent with a one year deal. This is big deal!
Well, Jeff gets in line to ask a question of Kenny Williams, the General Manager. It's long, involved, loaded with pointed questions. Kenny rolls his eyes and asks Jeff for his cheat-sheet that has the questions on them, so he can answer the whole thing. It was priceless. Kenny signed the questions for Jeff and gave them back. The audience seemed to like it. The thing about SoxFest is that you see management types like this and they don't dodge questions - they answer honestly - how many major league teams of any sport do that???
We went downstairs to the main floor. Jeff & Doreen get into line to get an autograph from Paul Konerko (her favorite), so Carol & I with Janie & Gary go over to the Fox Sports Net stage where they broadcast live from 7-8 tonight. They were interviewing players throughout the show. Pretty cool.
We walked through the exhibitors, picking a few trinkets along the way (hats, pins, signed baseballs, etc).
There was always a White Sox Training Academy clinic going on - we watched a bit of the pitching clinic with pitchers Jim Parque and Jon Garland.
We finally pick up Jeff & Doreen toward the end of the night from their autograph session, take a last walk through the exhibitors and then go to the Hotel lobby (Hyatt Regency Chicago) to hit their coffee shop for dinner. Dinner took almost two fricken hours!!!! Severely understaffed! Kelly Wunsch came in and sat down in a corner by himself for dinner. It was amazing how many people went over to bother him!!! Anyway, it was a great time at SoxFest. It hard to believe that the first pre-season game is 4 weeks from today!
posted at 11:04 PM | Link | White Sox § |
Sunday, January 20, 2002
Wolves 0 - Griffins 1
I'm getting tired of watching these two teams play each other. This is the 9th time they've played. The Griffins beat the Wolves 1-0 in a game that was marked by not having tons of fights or penalties. But the Wolves just can't handle a puck. I've said that for a long time now, and you could see that tonight.
posted at 09:56 PM | Link | Wolves § |
Saturday, January 19, 2002
Welcome Back Michael, Goodbye Soldier Field, Good Job Danny
So, Michael Jordan comes back to the United Center. It's just a bit too much for him. He actually starts tearing-up during the player introductions and the only thing that "saves" him is the lights being turned out for the Bulls introduction. The AP report described it like this: As United Center announcer Ray Clay introduced Jordan before the game, the sellout crowd stood and started clapping and screaming. At first, he tried to ignore it, looking down at his blue-and-white Air Jordans and chewing on his lip. But as the ovation continued, Jordan finally looked up. His eyes filled with tears and he glanced around the arena that will always be home no matter where he's playing. He gave a shaky smile and waved at the fans, who adore him for the six titles he won with the Bulls -- even if he's no longer wearing that familiar red-and-black No. 23. One fan summed it up best, carrying a sign that read, simply, "Thanks, Mike." Clearly moved, Jordan looked around, seeming almost stunned by the lovefest. Michael's explanation:
"I had a tough time playing against Chicago. It's like playing a relative, in a sense. It's not as intense, you're not quite as motivated."
"I've got a statue sitting out front. It's going to be tough for me to come back and it just be another game. It's always going to be compared to what I did here. It's human nature. And I know that."
More quotes: "I can say whatever I want about the uniforms and that the people have changed in those uniforms, but Chicago is Chicago, the Bulls are the Bulls, and the fans make the whole situation tough." "I've got a lot of gratitude for this city, for what they gave me and the motivation of playing, and here I am, I'm playing against their team." "I have too many memories," he said. "It's important for me not to come back and try to live up to that situation because that's tough. I may have a good game maybe the next time I come here. But to try to compare the two eras or the two situations, it's very, very tough." He had a career-high nine turnovers, and was just 7-of-21 from the floor for 16 points. The Wizards still won 77-69 (it's not like the Bulls were playing any good, either. In the first half The Bulls shot 16.7% on the first half.
And you gotta like this: Jordan shows up two hours before the game, heading for the locker room. "Hey Michael!" someone yelled, "what's it going to feel like going to the visitor's locker room?" "I don't even know where it is," he cracked.
Welcome back, Mike.
Then the Philadelphia Eagles show up at Soldier Field to play the Bears in the playoffs and handed them their hats. Eagles won 33-19 in a game filled with injury, all against the Bears. I hated this game. How could there be so many injuries and no penalties? I guess it boils down to another "homecoming" - Donovan McNabb (he grew up in the suburbs). He was 26 of 40 for 262 yards and rushed for 37 yards. And between McNabb and Duce Staley, they just killed us. And their defensive end Hugh Douglas just pissed me off. Everyone he touched seemed to get hurt. He drove Jim Miller to the turf and separated his shoulder. Later Mike Brown gets thrown to the turf at the sidelines and gets a concussion. Marty Booker gets a separated shoulder in the 3rd. Shane Mathews had to come in and play the rest of the game and this guy can't pass worth a damn (at least Miller could air it out once in a while). The Bears just didn't show up. At least Jerry Azumah got an interception (tipped by cornerback R.W. McQuarters) and touchdown.
The game was over at 6:35pm. At 9:30pm, crews started dismantling Soldier Field. Workers began removing the seats (which will be sold for $200 a pair), taking down the goalposts (they're being taken to Champaign for next year). Crews had only 30 hours to clean everything and remove the seats before the power is to be switched off and the demolition begins.
Goodbye Soldier Field. You'll never be the same.
The Wolves were in Ohio, playing the Cincinnati Mighty Ducks. Dan Snyder had a hat trick and the Wolves won 5-1. At least there was some joy in Mudville.
posted at 11:07 PM | Link | Sports § |
Monday, January 14, 2002
Chicago Wolves Season Ticket Holder Partyposted at 09:50 PM | Link | Wolves § |
Sunday, January 13, 2002
Wolves 4 - Moose 5
Went to another Wolves game tonight against the Manitoba Moose. We lost 5-4. Same officiating crew as last night... and they still suck. More fights. One of our guys (Clark) elbowed a guy and got 5 minutes (he drew blood), but he also got a game misconduct. I hate these guys. They did a real crappy job keeping control of the game both nights. Lots of missed calls and wrong calls.
Today was the end of the patriotic jersey raffle and auction. There was a total of 60 jerseys up for auction (4 of them were up for raffle). I didn't win anything. bummer. They were great jerseys. And, of course, the prices at the auction were at the $1000 level for almost all of the jerseys. I think I heard they made about $71,000.
posted at 07:42 PM | Link | Wolves § |
Saturday, January 12, 2002
Wolves 7 - Barons 3posted at 10:51 PM | Link | Wolves § |
Sunday, January 06, 2002
Champions
Chicago Bears 33 Jacksonville Jaguars 13.
CHICAGO BEARS NFC CENTRAL DIVISION CHAMPIONS
Best play has got to be DT Keith "Tractor" Traylor juggling then intercepting a pass, and running 67 yards to setup a touchdown for the Bears to go up 20-0 in the third quarter. The run was priceless making everyone's highlight reel. It was great. He even was looking for someone to lateral to. Toward the end of the run, other Bears players were pushing him further down the field before he was finally taken down at the Jacksonville 9. We now have a first round bye. Very cool. Regular season - 13-3. Last year - 5-11 - LAST place. 1999 6-10 - Last place. 1998 4-12 - Last place. 1997 4-12 - Last place. Who woulda thunk?
posted at 10:21 PM | Link | Bears § |
Saturday, January 05, 2002
DirecTV and The Wolves
Spent half the day going to stores to find things related to our DirecTV installation. First stop - cancel the cable and turn-in the cable box! That felt gooooood! Went to Radio Shack for a five-way phone jack for all my stuff in the family room. Had lunch at Sweet Tomato - a salad buffet place. Very good - we'll be going back there. Then to Best Buy to buy that replacement multiswitch. Oh, and buy the DVD of Buckaroo Banzai. Then off to home, replace the equipment, call DirecTV to resend the authorizations and voila everything works. I can't stop talking about how great DirecTV is. Great programming choices, great picture quality (I love the Sony receivers), and above all, great customer service.
Went to the Wolves game tonight against the Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins. First time the teams have met. The Penguins have the most penalty minutes in the entire league. (1,267 minutes - the closest teams are Cleveland and Philadelphia both with 1,089. The Wolves have 756. Wonder if that's why they also lead the league in attendance. They're also the worst in the league - they're 7-22-7-3.) Things got pretty bad with fighting, but they calmed down by the third. They wound-up with a 3-3 tie. It was Elvis night at the game - Elvis impersonators performing in the lobby, Elvis costume contest during the first intermission. Strange.
posted at 11:29 PM | Link | Wolves § |
Saturday, December 29, 2001
Wolves 3 - Moose 6posted at 10:54 PM | Link | Wolves § |
Wednesday, December 26, 2001
Sorry, Mike
Well, MJ had 28 points, but that couldn't get the Washington Wizrds to a franchise record 10-game winning streak. They lost 99-93 to Charlotte.
posted at 10:09 PM | Link | Sports § |
Monday, December 24, 2001
Bye bye Tim... not gonna miss ya
Tim Floyd, coach of the Chicago Bulls, resigned this afternoon. He had a 49-190 record in four seasons with the Bulls. They're 4-21 this year alone - worst in the NBA (last year was 15-67, again the worst in the NBA). Why am I not surprised? Why is Jerry Krause still there?
How weird of a Chicago sports day is this? just two hours earlier, the Chicago Bears announced that Dick Jauron will get a contract extension after the season.
posted at 11:30 PM | Link | Bulls § |
Baseball!
Fox SportsNet Chicago is running a White Sox game from June 3rd.
Basebaaaaallllllllllll...... aaaaaahhhhhhhhhgggllllllll.....
Man I miss baseball.....
posted at 12:48 PM | Link | Mundane § |
Sunday, December 23, 2001
Bears 20 - Redskins 15
Chicago Bears 20 Washington Redskins 15.
Great game. Great run by Leon Johnson for a TD. Fake Field Goal, Maynard to Urlacher for a touchdown!. Held the 'skins within the 3 in the last 2 minutes. Metcalf fumbles a free kick and the Bears get it back with 12 seconds left. 11-3 for the season, first time since 1988.
Who are these guys?!?!?!?!?!?
posted at 03:16 PM | Link | Sports § |
Wednesday, December 19, 2001
7 in a row
WTF... The Washington Wizards have won seven in a row. They're 12-12. Of course, the damn Bulls are 4-19 (0-13 on the road). Thank you MJ.
posted at 10:51 PM | Link | Sports § |
Tuesday, December 18, 2001
First Bowl Game?Jeez... there was a College Bowl game tonight (The New Orleans Bowl)... seems pretty damn early for this...
posted at 11:18 PM | Link | Mundane § |
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